Book Four: Divide  Hurricane
by Overlord-Flinx
Summary: 18 years of calm peace have set after the Avatar's victory. Now an evil hell bent on killing him has come. And when the spirits start going out of control and upsetting the balance, what can the Avatar do to stop this all? Many OCs. Romance later on.
1. Chapter one: Frost

**It's... SHOW TIME! That's right! You've all been TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO patient for this to start! So here it is, time for you all to get your spot light. I pray I give you what you want, so let's dive into this thing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own squat except Harike.**

**Also! Sorry I couldn't get everyone in at this point, but if I did, this chapter would've taken three weeks to do lol. Anyway, enjoy and have fun.**

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><p>Morning rays reflected a glinting blind in the noon sky against the powerful yet surprisingly fragile land of the Northern Water tribe's walkways and snow carved buildings. Though a docile nation since the fall of the tyrant Ozai and the praised rise of the benevolent Zuko, times throughout the sculpted lands of the city had never changed. However the more light hearted and relaxed the people had become, the Water Tribe was never one to retreat into bliss; dark clouds would always loom in the distance. If it where to be breezed away to bring them no trouble or crept closer so as to wreak its horrible storm would always be a possibility…<p>

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><p>"That will be all today," a kind voice chirped to a younger female who was hunched over a water bending dummy, palms pressed calmly to its torso.<p>

The girl glanced up, looking to the older woman with her kind, ocean blue eyes as a spirited smile grew across her tanned skin face. "Does that mean I can go?" giggled the girl as she moved the brown strands of her hair from out of her face and back to the rest of her curled hair so as not to look too optimistic to get on her own way.

The older woman knelt down to pick up the doll as a warm chuckle came from her. "Unless you feel like sitting here and do nothing Laya—" before another whisp of words parted from the older woman's lips, the girl bolted off the chilled floor of the Northern Water Tribe medical hut and out into the glint of the snow white city streets.

"Bye mom, love you, miss you, see you later!" Laya called back, crunching the fresh snow of the city street under her boots; waving her typical water tribe clothes in each step along with a quick wave back to her mother as she gathered herself into the doorway.

Her mother watched as her daughter quickly dodged through the city stands and crowds, never once dropping her warm smile. "One minute she's so focused and the next…" without finishing her thought, she shook her head not in displeasure, and returned to her work.

Laya made no attempt to look back at what her mother had to say or show with her abrupt departure, she knew she would hear about it from her later. But for now, she felt eager about having a stretch to her legs and hearing the cold crinkling of the snow as she stepped atop it. All the while of dancing through the small clusters of passing Water Tribesmen and women, her eyes never glanced up once to the sinking darkness that had begun to overcast the gates of the city. "What to do, what to do?" Laya pondered under her breath, skidding down a narrow alleyway with clumps of snow being kicked up as her heels brushed against the snowed path. "I could get a few hours of training in, or—" suddenly, as she escaped the narrow pathway into an open street, her eyes quickly clicked to a raven haired girl franticly looking about, her side bangs dryly tapping against her back at each head cock. "Or talk to Dylanna." She quickly noted before rushing up to the girl with a fierce wave of her hand.

The girl quickly locked her blue eyes to Laya and her expression instantly changed to one of slight relief. "Hey Laya. Mom done working you today?" she asked casually, failing to her distaste of holding her panic.

Laya dismissed the shake of her tone and gave her a shrug. "I think so, kind of bolted out of there before she really said I could go… But what about you? You look drained?" her blunt note of her friend's mottled expression and shagged appearance only made Dylanna smile despite her groan.

"You haven't been looking up too much have you?" Dylanna asked in return.

"Why? I've been just running about since I got out of the training hut, why would I need to—Oh look, dark clouds," Laya quickly stated, taking her first look up into the sky.

Sure enough, the creep of dark clouds had all but started extending its cast above the arctic city. Laya along with many other tribesmen took another lasting look at the clouds, half noticing that the over cast seemed to be moving slowly and smoothly above the city. "So…" snapping her eyes away from the clouds and back to Dylanna, Laya cocked a brow. "Why did I have to look up?" Dylanna pinched the bridge of her nose before looking up at Laya.

"Laya, think for just one second, alright? Just think… How long has it been since Ozai was beaten by the Avatar?" trying to hint the best she could, Dylanna waited for a response.

"Eighteen years, everyone knows that," Laya, as the loom of clouds crept over further above, started to drop her previous joyful expression.

"Right, and what happened ten years after that?" Dylanna, knot forming in her gut, lead Laya to the final answer.

Laya paused for a second, furrowing her brows as she allowed the question to sink into her mind. "When I was eight…?" a moment passed along with a dark clouds blacking out the noon sky; small flakes of snow drifting down around the two girls now from the sky above. Finally, it came to her. One boy. A canoe. And a cold look that she could never forget as the two drifted south… "He's… home?" the words felt stiff as they came from Laya's mouth, afraid for a nod or any sign that it was true.

"I saw him coming an hour ago. I wouldn't mistake those clothes anywhere. Mom told me that those robes where custom made, no other like them. And just how his ship moved… nothing else in the water was moving except his ship," Dylanna explained with a glance over to the massive wall that protected the city from the open water.

"Oh man!" Laya's sense of panic started to set in, only to find Dylanna placing her hand to her friend's shoulder.

"Keep it together Laya!" the simple command put Laya back into her mind set and she nodded compliantly. "Now what we're gonna do—"

"We?"

"You're an accessory to my plans now. You ran into while I was looking for someone, so now you're in too deep," Dylanna explained with a casual tone. Laya gave a pout which didn't hinder Dylanna as she continued. "As I was saying, what we're doing now is finding Varun—"

"Varun? How will that help us?" Laya asked genuinely taken back by the boy's name.

A second moved by as Dylanna found herself with nothing to say or reason on with the question. Slowly, a playful smirk came to Laya. "Ohhhh, I see…"

"See what?" Dylanna shot back with brimmed anger as she figured what it was she 'saw'.

"Need your boy incase things get dicey, I get it."

"It's not like that at—Whatever!" gripping Laya by her collar, Dylanna dragged her along at a quick pace through the city streets. "Think what you want, we need his help."

Feeling no reason to pick at the subject further, Laya let it go and began to keep pace with Dylanna; crunching the snow ridden path along side her. "Well alright, but let's just keep it between the three of us… I don't want some epic adventure happening."

"Laya, we're not even leaving the city. I just want to see what's going down at the gate. This isn't an adventure…" with that, the two dashed down the Northern Water Tribe's arctic city streets, passing many people that only looked upward at the clouds or at the center of the very storm with mixed interest, thought, and fear.

Joining in the watchful eyes looking to the cluster of dark clouds above, another Tribeswoman was looking up as she gathered into her small chest a bundle of sea prunes. Her shimming blue eyes seemed to be trouble filled by the sight, feeling a chill slither down her back like her curled black hair did and rushed against her bow that was done onto her back. "I've never seen clouds like those before… I don't think so," she whispered for only her own ears to bare heed to. Her finger tips moved to her neck and softly touched the tear drop shaped gem that hung there with thought.

Before her thoughts set fully in, her attention was broken as she saw two individuals dashing down the street towards her: one nearly dragged by the other. Her expression instantly lit up and she rose a hand to wave. "Laya! Dylanna! What—" Before she could finish her question, she felt a powerful tug to her arm as the two of them passed her; seeing now that Laya had grasped her arm and dragged her like she was being dragged by Dylanna.

Laya laughed cheerfully as she watched the girl's expression turn to surprise while trying to regain her footing all the while of being dragged along. "Hey Elodie! Sorry to drag you into this!" the two of them looked at each other and snickered over the joke as Dylanna groaned, never once loosing her pace after gaining the added weight.

Elodie dismisivly smiled her apology off and joined her in attempting to gain footing in the mad dash lead from Dylanna. "It's fine. But what exactly is it that I'm being dragged into?" she inquired, seeing no reason not to accept this abrupt change in her day- such was common with those she befriended.

"Getting Varun, the sky is dark, 'he's' back, yadda yadda, no time to chitter on it!" Dylanna sputtered out all the while of gracefully maneuvering the traverse paths of the inner city.

Elodie glanced over to Laya who simply nodded with a wiggle of her brows. "Ohhh, Varun, I see…" Elodie said, electing a snicker from Laya.

"Oh? Why oh? What're you two trying to say?" growing with a mix of fury and embarrassment, Dylanna shook her head and turned one last corner before abruptly halting in her tracks.

With the sudden change in movement, Elodie and Laya tumbled foreword and planted into the cold ice made floor of the street. The two groaned as they brought themselves to their feet and looked to Dylanna who was casting her gaze pass them to the small ice glazed house behind them. Despite the cold matter the home and area was made from, small puffs of smoke escaped from the small chimney shaped atop the house. "Here we are: the armory," Dylanna finally said as she stepped forward to the entrance way.

Brushing the small frost that gathered to her lower dress, Elodie looked to the building as well. "Oh right, Varun builds armor for the army... I guess someone has to."

"Yeah, wouldn't be much an army without armor for them to wear." Laya commented with a snicker.

Dylanna ignored the two of them as they laughed together, focused as she was on gathering what she hoped to be the last member of their 'cavalry'. The ice crafted door of the building slid open easily as Dylanna pressed her palm to its surface, instantly revealing a fairly built boy sporting a fur jacket that many of the tribesman wore, paying no attention to the door letting the only rays of light fresh from the outer walls and only on the clutter of irons and buckles muddled about on a wooden desk. "Varun." She called to him casually from the door frame. The boy continued to work his clutter about, trying –it would seem- to make a suitable match of the mess. "Varun!" once more she called, this time with a slight irritation. Again, he didn't turn around. "Varun!" Finally snapping, Dylanna whipped her hand foreword, electing the frame of the door to liquefy and shoot outward at Varun in a whip.

With a wet but loud snap, the water crashed against Varun's blue furred back and forced him to throw what he was holding up into the air with a yelp. Spurring around in a flurry of hand waves, Varun looked over at Dylanna and her two comrades joining her in what was left of the door frame. His eyes where stricken to a surprised panic as he searched about the room and back to them. "What, what what? Is the city on fire!" checking around with multiple takes to make sure the 'fire' didn't spread into his workshop, Varun let out his first words since they arrived.

Laya cocked a brow whilst shimming her way further into the small hearth. "We live on an iceberg, how could it—"

Dylanna cut her off with a quick hand raise and a sharp tone. "Varun, you gotta come with us!"

A calm set into Varun, recovering slowly from the sudden attack on him. Starting to think a little more rational, he folded his arms before his chest and stiffened his expression. "Why? Something big happening?"

"Does it really matter?" Dylanna retorted.

"Well actually it does," Varun's matter of fact tone sent back, "I have work to do and I—"

"Gah! Stop with your work and come on!" she cut off with a strained tone.

All the while the two argued, Laya and Elodie watched as if in a trance between the two bickering teens; snapping locks from one to the other as they exchanged word for word. "We all can't drop our work like you… Some of us have response—"

"I did my responsibilities! You're just doing pointless junk!" Elodie and Laya cringed at Dylanna's sharp comment before looking back to Varun for his reply.

Varun reeled back slightly as his face was stricken in hurt. "P-pointless junk! My work is anything but pointless!"

"Varun! You make wrist guards!"

"And 30 percent of attacks are directed at the wrists! One hit to the wrist and a battle could be over in a second!"

"That's why people use bending or have a shield!"

"Not everyone can bend, Dylanna!" the two of them glared each other down, both teeming with pent up rage just begging to be let out.

Elodie looked between the two of them and cocked her head, letting the softest giggle protrude from her lips. "Lover's quarrel… So cute."

Both Varun and Dylanna turned their attention off of each other and to Elodie as she continued to smile passively at the two of them. Glancing at each other one last time, they both snorted disagreement and turned away from each other. "Whatever! I don't care! Let's just get going alright!" Dylanna quickly ordered.

Before any of the three could voice of objection, Dylanna swept a whip of water around the lot of them and pulled them all effortlessly out the door and back into the fresh noon air; though, the sun was now blanketed out by the full overcast spreading over the city. The usual chill of the Northern Pole was replaced by an eerie still throughout the atmosphere, hanging with it the slithering of a dropping chill. Light, iced flakes danced down around Dylanna and her water caught lot, chilling the tips of their noses and exposed faces. "We're not missing this!" Dylanna pointed out as her water whip hold over her pack dropped and she dashed towards the center of town: the training yard.

The others looked about each other and groaned, feeling they too had to see what it was that was happening. Laya was the first to follow, Elodie and Varun following in her swift boot steps and up the cannels of the city. "So…" Varun started, deciding the still in the air coupled with the suddenly silent team was too much for him, "what is it we're doing exactly?"

Laya span around and started to run backwards, keeping her pace but looking to Varun with her near full attention. "He's back…"

"He's back? Who's he?"

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><p>They muttered as the robed figure passed, his dark boots crunching the snow covered training field in great audio in the still air. The snow continued to follow around all of them, bringing fresh packing to the already collective layers on the ground. Many tribesmen gathered about in a massive circle, keeping their voices low as the robed figure walked further to the center of the training field. The massive ice crafted totems that stood on either side of the field casted no shadow as the sun had died behind the rolling black clouds that over took the sky. To many, death had swallowed the life of the Northern Water Tribe's home; but others feared that 'death' had no business here, but a greater destination. Halfway down the training field, an abrupt halt came to him as he seemed to look onward. Before the flight of stairs that lead to the marvelous palace that the North Pole was known for where many strong looking and armor clad Tribesman; but what caught his eye was not them. Dead center of them was a casually dressed Tribesman with faded black hair, his face heavy with the strains of leadership and blue eyes that told a story of anguish. The Tribesman due center took a few steps forward, arms folded behind his back. "Spirits be willing, you are here for nothing against the people here," he spoke, his voice echoing over the near vacant field.<p>

"Why would I bring harm?" many cringed as the robed figure spoke, his voice clear with submission; but a wry undertone that betrayed what kindness he tried to give off. "You of all people know that the Spirits' wishes are why I stand before you. The moon has set, Arnook. You know why I'm here…"

Chief Arnook, leader of the Northern Water Tribe pressed a grizzled palm to his aged face, stroking down his whitened beard. "Harike of the Northern Water Tribe… The Avatar is no longer here." Arnook hesitated on his final statement as soldiers and Tribesman visibly stiffened.

"Aang is not here? Well… Where is he then?" a thundering crackle through the air, bringing with it a howling change in wind and a blinding flash as the clouds sent a jut of lightning through its curved surfaces.

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><p><strong>How was that? do tell, do tell. If you have issues with this or anything, tell me before any characters get some EXPLOSIVE action done on them. This story is going to take a long time so I need to plan ahead as quickly as I can! I hope to see you all later.<strong>

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><p><strong>Now, we will take a quick moment to tell you about those OCs that have joined us today on the stage this chapter:<strong>

**Laya: age 16. A powerful healer that lost her parents before she could tragically know them. None the less, that hasn't dampened her spirit, she's our regular Water Bender fire cracker. Also so, she's a self taught Water Bender in the form of attack, but don't tell mommy!**

**Dylanna: age 14. A born aristocrat destined for elegance she spits on the high society life style and prefers getting down and dirty with the boys. She hates being under anyone's thumb and lives to run free and be her own. But under it all, she has a craving to sometimes, just maybe, be seen as a girl.**

**Varun: age 15. Coming a family of three boys, he's been the one to shine out as the most talented in Water Bending. Don't let his thoughtful and stratigic outlook fool you, he's a regular hound when it comes to the ladies; but don't tell his close friend Dylanna, he can't handle anymore hits!**

**Elodie: age 15. Found drifting in the chilled waters of the Northern Water Tribe after her parents where senselessly murdered, she was seen as a child of great potential and was put to training the moment she could be. Fairly unshaken by her loss, she's a sweet and lighthearted girl.**

**Harike: age 19. Born and raised in the Northern Water Tribe, he left home at age 10 to perfect his art of bending. Those that meet him call him a caring and gentle boy, while those that hear of him think him a monster with a sick mind. Though never prone to use his bending, he's thought to have amazing bending.**

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><p><strong>See you in the big times<strong>

**-Overlord**


	2. Chapter two: Ignite

**WOW! Finished this faster then i thought. However, for this chapter I had to cut a few corners because the people i WANTED to use are missing some importent information... So I used what I could. I think it turned out nice. By the way, if you want me to put who's characters are in the chapters ahead of time, tell me so we can start setting that up for the later chapters.**

**Anyway, here we go, chapter two! Things are starting to heat up!**

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><p>Ozai, a name once praised by those with mantles as red as his wrath and feared by those of any other. His reign was final, controlling, and perhaps worse of all – praised. Those that did not cower or bow to his fire were no sooner brought to a crisp by those that had. Be it just, however, that the once great Ozai was toppled by not just the Avatar, but by his own son's treachery. Ozai, a once powerful and feared man was reduced to mere ashes of his former self; neither a fire nor a spark flickered from his imprisoned hands anymore since his fall. He was not alone in his mighty kingdom's collapse, with it so many fire benders and loyal councilman went with him. Azula, Ozai's loyal daughter, in his absence allowed power to contort her mind; with no one for her to release her rage on and no one to stand by her out of fear, the feared Azula degraded into madness. The mighty Fire Nation itself had become a shadow of what it once was – a feared super power that's reach had no limits, and neither did its people. But now, the Fire Nation had become something else… Something so much more.<p>

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><p>Patter of shoes echoed dry through the Royal Palace, the red columns that lined the warm lit halls casted their shadows over the small congregation of noble figures; each sporting a similar style of red and gold clothes. "My Lord," a man wearing a tall hat started to say, casting his eyes to a fairly regal man sporting a pin in his top knot hair and an elegant robe. "If we don't take immediate action…"<p>

"Action should be taken before something grows to this level," the man snapped without a look to the man's direction. "Now we take precautions."

For a while, the group of regal figures walked in awkward silence before the first man decided to speak up, picking out his words as if they could be his last. "Of course my Lord. If it be your will sire, I would be happy to implement the precautions as soon as possible."

"Your idea of precautions or the right way of doing them?" a dry voice asked in someway of actually holding a distain.

The regal man held a snicker as he looked to her. "And what would you have us do, Mai?" his voice suddenly was taken from one of control to a more warm and compassionate tone.

She looked around at the others that gathered around her and frowned. "We'll handle the rest on our own," she dismissed, giving them a dismissive hand gesture as if they where children.

Mixes of grumbles were summoned from the elderly men as they shuffled down the hall, leaving the two alone. Once the others were too far gone to hear them, the two smiled and turned to each other; the man standing near half a foot taller then the girl. "You could've handled that better."

Mai shrugged her red velvet clothed shoulders and groaned. "I believe it was Azula who said good workers were hard to come by…" she smiled into her husband's half scarred face. "However, we're both aware of the true issue here…"

His face grew stern before walking past Mai, electing her to follow close by his side. "Harike… But what-?"

"Relax Zuko," Mai commented slowly without meeting her husband's gaze. "Uncle Iroh is handling it."

"Uncle?" Zuko whispered the name to himself, his heart so filled with joy at the mention of the name, it had been so long since he'd seen or even heard from him.

"Yes, it would seem your uncle has sent us a student of his…" Zuko's face flashed surprised as he looked to Mai. "I was surprised as well… Unfortunately, we already know who it is…"

Taking his eyes away, Zuko pondered on Mai's words before it finally hit him; and it made him scowl with his good eye narrowing as if it were burned. "Aizen..?" he nearly spat the name out.

"The one and only," Mai's sarcasm may have not been welcomed by the other councilman or elders, but Zuko had taken a liking to it. "But it's either we use Aizen or… _their_ approach."

His fingers brushed against the bridge of his nose, feeling its half fleshed surface to one side and mumbled distaste of the idea. "I trust uncle… he wouldn't send Aizen unless he thought he was ready."

"Perhaps not," Mai added slowly. "He also sent a friend with him…"

Zuko began to feel a deep pressure in the ridge of his forehead out of frustration. "If it's someone completely different then Aizen, it'll be a welcome change," Zuko finally came to a halt before massive double doors at the end of the hall. "Anything else you need to tell me?" he asked with hopes she for once didn't.

"Just one thing…" opening the double doors with a simple push of her palms to the sleek red door, it creaked open to reveal a mass of Fire Nationers gathered outside with roaring applause. "The people want to hear about _your_ plan dealing with 'Harike'." As she uttered the word 'your' they both looked to the elders that stood right outside the doors facing the crowd. The Fire Lord looked out over the mass of people, surprise plastered across his strong face. Mai gently pushed him out onto the walkway as she broke into the smallest smirk. "Good luck Fire Lord Zuko."

Before Zuko could say a word back to her, the door slammed shut and left him outside. Turning around, he saw the people with ecstatic cries as they saw their beloved savior and king – Fire Lord Zuko, with all his modest glory.

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><p>The Fire Nation capital was cleared empty of people as the summons for all of them dictated to be in attendance at the Royal Palace. A growing crisis had begun to sink in around all those in the Fire Nation, and this meeting would undoubtedly clear those fears up and give the people the morale boost the needed. However so, the city had not been cleared of all people; for now, but two people still walked the streets leading to the Royal Palace. One of them was clad in a seemingly custom made Fire Nation battle suit that was missing its helmet; while the other standing next to him was a fair looking girl wearing a long red robe with black on the hems. They both seemed to have the same look of uninterested as they walked through the empty streets, only the girl's seemed to be holding back disgust as she saw Fire Nation banners hanging from street poles and homes. Dark brown eyes shifted to look down at her as she continued to scope out the area they were venturing down. "Uncomfortable?" he asked smoothly, his lips curling into a smug smirk as his boots echoed against the dirt road leading to the Palace.<p>

The girl seemed to snap out of her self set trance and turned her dark blue eyes up at his. "Not at all Aizen. I was just admiring the fine buildings… They're nice," she replied with confidence.

Aizen narrowed his eyes but dropped the subject at that, returning his set eye path on the Palace off in the distance. As the two drew closer, they could hear the chatter of the villagers and soldiers within the inner courtyard. "It seems pretty peaceful around here."

"A bit too peaceful if you ask me…" Aizen muttered in distaste.

"Good, because I _didn't_ ask you," the girl replied with a strangely sweet tone.

"Ozai and Azula had real Nation ideas, Alexandra—"

"And look where they are now…" she off handedly reminded him, moving off ahead as Aizen visibly fairing at the finger tips from the comment. A calming breath came to Aizen and he followed Alexandra in silence. "Now, Iroh –bless his kind soul- wanted me to make sure you don't—"

"'Don't' what? Cause trouble?" Aizen asked angrily.

Alexandra nodded cheerfully without looking back at him. Aizen was aware that Iroh had picked this girl out special to come with him, but he wasn't too thrilled about the company. "He told me you have a few… problem bringing tendencies," Alexandra continued to poke at him mentally despite her smiling face.

Aizen ignored her as they finally reached the stairs leading to the Palace. The two of them looked up the lime stone stairs and noted the blood red sky that rippled above; small puffs of smoke streaking along with it. "…Is the sky always that..?" Alexandra paused, trying to figure the right words to put the sight as.

"Terrifying? No, I've never seen it like that in all my years of visiting here…" caring on without her, Aizen continued up the stairs towards the palace.

Alexandra took one final look at the sky before running after Aizen. "I was going to say spooky, but terrifying sounds more Fire Nation."

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><p>"People of the Fire Nation! I thank you for coming at this most pressing time. I'm aware that you have all heard of a rebellion against the Avatar's guidance of the world. And perhaps more pressing to us -the Fire Nation- are the constant rumblings of the volcanoes that line our many islands. Smoke blanketing the once blue skies above us from the volcanoes. But I tell you this in hopes it will put your minds at ease: we have a solution.<p>

"As I speak, solders stationed in the Earth Kingdom are receiving orders to apprehend the leader of this rebellion and put a bounty on his head. As for the volcanoes, the sages have been seeking out the proper methods to handle it as we wait for the Avatar. I promise you all this: no harm will befall anyone in this world as long as I still have breath!" The crowds threw their hands up in praise, firing loud cheers and explosive fire as they reveled in the Fire Lord's assuring words.

"Seated on a throne of lies…" one girl muttered in a breath as she watched the scene unfold from behind one of the columns. Despite the mass of people gathered in the court yard, she remained in the shadows; unseen by any of the others. Though, if she where to be seen, her dishonorable silver streaked hair would undoubtedly bring some attention to her; so she remained low. "That Harike has the right idea. Rebellion. Destruction," she continued to grumble out.

To her unnoticed eyes and ears, another girl sporting a sunset hued kimono that was cut short above her knees had walked up behind her; her red sandals somehow dulling her footsteps. "Someone seems pretty angry…" the girl nearly jumped out of her skin as the soft spoken voice came to her ear, "I wonder why that is?"

The two of them looked at each other for a moment, ember orbs locking with honey dipped irises. "…Maybe because mommy and daddy didn't love someone enough?" she spat back at the girl, "Or maybe, just maybe, peace is over rated."

"Over rated? That's a stupid thing to say…"

"Who's the stupid one here? The one talking to a stranger or the one who was keeping to themselves?"

"When you put it like that…" with a reach of her hand down to the sitting girl, a smile came across her short ebony haired head. "My name is Taichi-Lotus… but Lotus is much easier to pronounce."

The other girl eyed the offered hand with a scowl before knocking away in a grunt, a gold tint slightly shimmering off her wrist as she did so. "I didn't ask."

"I take it you weren't raised to be polite?" Lotus critiqued as she took her hand back.

The other girl simply gave another grunt before sliding herself back to her feet, back flat to the pillar. "Aylin… That's my name since you're so curious."

"Honestly, I didn't ask. But nice of you to share," Lotus gave her newly introduced friend a nod then casting her gaze on Zuko and his council before the palace. "You seem like you were here longer, what are they talking about?"

"Huh?" Aylin cocked a brow at Lotus who didn't look back at her. "You don't get out much, do you? The islands have been shaking and rumbling with all the volcanoes suddenly waking up. And some guy named 'Harike' or something is starting a rebellion against the Avatar…"

Shock ran down Lotus' spine, chilled from the sickening of that word and a burning desire against that name. "The… Avatar?"

"Yeah… He sounds like a brave guy. He's fighting against all this peace, love, and tree hugging loving peace! Sounds like my kind of guy!" Aylin shook with excitement as she gushed out her words; Lotus nodding half attentively with her.

"Right… My kind of guy…" a mused tone was all Lotus gave as her mind contemplated exactly what it was she was planning to take action on with this information. "Aylin was it? You like war don't you?"

Aylin looked at Lotus as if she were crazy, cracking a wild smirk with a snicker. "That's a stupid question. Haven't you heard a word I said since we started talking?"

"Then that's a yes. So you probably want to find this 'Harike' person…?" Aylin nodded with a look of interest growing in her eyes. "…Then it looks like we have a common goal, Aylin. What do you say? The two of us -together- find this guy and help him out."

"Are you serious! That sounds awesome!" visibly pumped Aylin threw her hands up in the air but stopped mid celebration to look back at Lotus. "Wait… you know why I'm going, but what could someone like you—" Aylin eyed her down, taking in account her slim figure, "—want with a person like Harike?"

Lotus cringed at the question but quickly shook it off with a small frown. "I have my reasons… So are you in or not?" offering her deal one last time, she gave her hand to Aylin one more time.

The two of them stood there in the shadows of the palace, both unmoving in their thoughts over this quick encounter. Slowly, two hands clapped together and they shook as one. "You've got a deal partner…"

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><p>The island hummed with the thundering applause and cheers of all those that gathered before Zuko; cheers that brought hope to once wry and oppressed people. But these cheers reverberated poorly into the stone tower on the outskirts of the town. The guards stationed their smiled peacefully as they listened to the faintest wafts of the Fire Lord's speech off in the distance, wishing that they themselves could've joined. However, they knew very well that leaving the tower would be death for not just them, but for everyone within reach. The cheering crowd in the distance was too enthusiastic for the one they were stationed to keep watch over. Deep within the spiraling tower's many levels, at the very top in a dimly lit room was the captive's lone cell. The lone flame that flickered in a struggle to stay alive on the dripping wax candle casted sporadic flashes of light all across the cell. The dank of the cell was unwelcome to any light or life besides the single being bound to the wall by chains and kept behind bars. The cheers of the crowd traveled lightly through the cell, echoing off the dry stone walls. Little by little, the cheers felt louder to them, bringing them to snarl furiously. With the snarls came a fanning growth of blue fire out of their mouth. Whilst in the middle of their growing rage, a guard came clanking up the stone stairs to the cell and looked over at them. "Hey. No fire bending in there!" he scolded, however his voice seemed thick with fear.<p>

Though no light touched the prisoner, the sound of chains rattling filled the room, the outline of their head limply rising up. "They cheer for a traitor… A false king," the female voice was dry and weak but still so filled with hate. "He cares more for other people then his own Nation."

"Fire Lord Zuko is—" Suddenly the cell was filled with a blood curdling howl accompanied by a blooming blue cascade of blue fire.

"I am Fire Lord! Father chose me!" she screamed before flailing out rapid blurs of fire about the room, forcing the guard to withdraw and retreat down the stairs.

As he fled down the stairs, he heard the screams of rage slowly being replaced with agony and remorse. He felt his heart sink with sympathy as he looked back up into the slowly dimming room. "Fire Lord Zuko… I don't think she'll ever be well enough to leave this place…"

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><p><strong>Did you all have fun? Probably not with that last part thrown in there! Don't worry, everything will work out for these people when we come full circle on them (and the others) in two or three chapters. The first three chapters are just here to set up our 'villians' or OCs, and what's REALLY going on here. So, review and tell me if you need anything or just to tell me you had fun... either way I enjoy both.<strong>

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><p><strong>Just like last chapter, let's give a quick profile of these fine OCs this chapter:<strong>

**Lotus: age 17. A regular fish out of water; or bender out of water. A born water bender who lost her dear mother when she sought out the Avatar for healing but died on the way. Her life is filled with drama and tragity; isn't that fun?**

**Aizen: age 15. He never knew his parents but found shelter in Iroh's teaching and watch. Unfortuntley, despite his promise of being a great bender, he spent one too many times with a certain Fire Bender and was corrupted from such.**

**Alexandra: age 17. Born with the power of the very Nation she hated, she became a skilled Fire Bender. Though her parents were killed by an inflamed home, she was taken in by her Grandpa Joe.**

**Aylin: age 17. Born in greed, raised in hate, all in the name of honoring the throne of Fire Lord Ozai. Her parent's influence hasn't rubbed off her positively, making her a twisted girl bent on her own goals fulfillment.**

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><p><strong>See you all later! Oh and PLEASE make sure you filled out all your forums so I don't get snagged like this again? Seriously, I wanted two more people in this chapter but people forget some forums so I had to leave them out for now. It's never too late to add on, these first three chapters are just intros!<strong>

**See you in the big times**

**-Overlord**


	3. Chapter three: Slush

**Aaaaaaand here we are at last. The final chapter before we start this train up! I am sorry though, this chapter is a lot smaller then I wanted... I don't know why, but it just turned out that way.**

**Anyway, you didn't come to listen to me, you came to see if your character showed up and join in on the awesome adventure.**

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><p>Ba Sing Se; the impenetrable city. The Fire Nation Capital; the refined city. The Northern Water Tribe; the evolving city. The Air Temples; the flowering cities. To each, its own stationed talent- something that when the name is mentioned, everyone knows exactly what is so great about it. All but one grand city is honored by such remarks before 18 years ago. What was once a slush toned snow mass with fairly a few living on it had now been reestablished as what it once was: a small arctic stronghold that housed hundreds. The marvelous city: The Southern Water Tribe.<p>

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><p>Over the past 18 years more and more life was added to the slowly growing streets of the Southern Water Tribe. Great walls of ice glazed snow encircled the sizeable city. Igloos were erected all through out the inner threshold of the Southern Water Tribe. But perhaps most marveling of all was the palace like structure formed in the middle. It towered over even the walls of the city and over shadowed every home gathered before it. And, structured right at its pristine structure was a statue of the Southern Water Tribe's most honored and beloved member; the Avatar's Water Bending Master and wife- Lady Katara. And before the statue made from ice stood the very figure the statue depicted, indulging her in a moment of admiring as she looked over the statue.<p>

A sigh passed her lips before cocking an eye in the direction of a younger girl standing next to her, the girl's dark brown hair tied back into a pony tail as she as well looked over the statue with her compassion filled blue eyes. "How does it look?" Katara asked casually.

The girl seemed to be taken back by the question as she looked up at Katara with a stammer. "Oh, it looks fantastic Lady Katara!"

A warm chuckle came from Katara as she studied the statue again. "Really? I was thinking it made me look a little—"

"Never Lady Katara! You're beautiful and so is your statue. The only thing wrong with it is that it can't capture your skills and amazingness!" the girl prattled on.

"Thank you Kara. It's nice to be appreciated…" suddenly, Katara's mature face turned stern as she saw healers and benders leaving the main structure of the Southern Water Tribe. "I can only hope that what I've heard isn't true…"

Kara cocked one of her fine brows and turned to Katara. "What're you talking about? Is something going on?"

Katara blinked a second and started to smile before patting a hand on Kara's shoulder. "It's really nothing to worry about… I hope. But, Zu—the Fire Lord…" Katara's expression dropped for a moment before she carried on, "He sent Aang and me a letter concerning a rebellion building up in the Northern Water Tribe."

"A rebellion!" Kara instantly grew furious as her eyes flared to anger. "You mean some one –some people- aren't happy with the Avatar?"

"That would be the gist of it, yes…" the grand water bender sighed before turning away and starting to walk away, Kara followed close to her side. "As such, we're sending healers and any other available benders and soldiers we can spare to help our brothers in the North."

"And the Fire Lord told you all this?"

Katara hesitated for a moment before muttering softly: "yes, he did…"

"You don't sound too happy about this. Isn't it a good thing we can get as many people up there as we can in this time frame?" Kara asked as her anger started to simmer down and the two of them exited the city to a massive dock with many water tribe vessels stationed in the ports.

"Huh?" Katara snapped out of her thoughts and looked to Kara. "Oh, sorry. Yes, I'm very happy the Fire Lord sent for our aid… It's just—never mind."

Kara opened her mouth to try and press the point, but was cut off in mid thought as a wide eyed girl ran passed her with her chocolate hued hair swayed in the arctic air at each of her energetic steps. "Who was—" before Kara could voice her question, another girl came chasing in foot of the other sporting a purple water tribe's outfit and golden sandals; letting the chilling snow scrape up against her partly exposed toes. "Who're they?"

Suddenly, a feminine voice erupted from behind them. "Hey, Katara, what's-your-face!" Katara and Kara looked behind themselves to see a well figured girl wearing a blue dress that had red lining on it standing before them, arms crossed before her chest. "Did you see my two idiots run by here?" before a second went by and they could give an answer, she peaked around them and ran passed them as well. "There they are. Wait up guys!" she yelled after them as she too dashed off through the snow covered dock.

The two water benders looked at each other as they saw the three girls darting off after one of the loading soldier ships. "Dad!" the lead girl yelled off at one of the ships.

One of the soldiers turned around to see the three girls, smiling lightly at the leader of the pack. "Kami, did you and your friends come to see us off?" he asked softly as other men continued to stock up the sizeable battle ship stationed at the dock.

"See you off?" Kami fixed her hair loops before smirking at her father. "Hah! We're coming with you!"

Finally, the other two caught up just in time to catch Kami's words to her father. The youngest looking one of them gasped between her strained pants from trying to keep up. "_That's_ what we were doing? I thought we were going sledding!"

"Come on Ashee…" commented the more built of the girls without even a pant from the lengthy run she had to do. "Did you honestly think Kami wouldn't want to go?"

Ashee crossed her arms with a pouting lip before turning away from her party. Despite the small distraction, Kami kept her eyes fixed to her father; and what seemed to be more important, the ship. Recently, the Water Tribe had collaborated with the Fire Nation to build stronger and more reliable ships for the growing demand of trade and passage. These new Water Tribe ships were designed loosely on those of the Fire Navel Ships. The only differences being their smaller size and specifically designed means of harnessing water bending for quicker and more agile movements then any previous war ships. Along such, the insigne of the Water Tribe was placed on the side and traditional mast of the ship; both of which being of no real use other then novelty. They were true works of engineering.

Kami's father's previous look of appreciation for his daughter's arrival became stern and ridged. "Kami, this isn't the sort of mission for young water benders."

"Dad!" Kami shot back in anger.

"No Kami!" his eyes shifted to the other girls for support. "Ashee, Rei. Tell her."

The two girls looked at each other as Ashee worked out of her pout. Ashee blinked blankly at Rei, edging her on to say something since she was the eldest of the two of them. Rei shook her head dejectedly whilst groaning. "He's got a point Kami. You'd only get in the way of him and the other soldiers."

Kami shot a glair back at her to which Ashee flinched to and Rei continued to be stern with. Once more, she turned to her father who seemed to be at his ends with her desire to go with him, when the four of them heard a set of two foot steps clacking against the wooden planks of the snow covered dock. Everyone casted their gaze to the two intruders, instantly bowing their head to their most honored Water Bender. "What's this I hear about some kids wanting to help in the war effort?" Katara asked with a light tone.

It was Kami who spoke up, trying her best to be as polite as her mind set would allow. "Yes, Lady Katara. We wanted to help with what's going on in the north."

"We?" Ashee muttered to Rei as a side note, which made her snicker but tried to hold it so as not to insult Katara or Kami for that matter.

Katara studied Kami and her friends for a moment before turning her attention to her apprentice. "Kara," Kara quickly sharpened up and gave Katara her full attention. "Remember that little gift my brother sent me a year ago?" she tapped her chin for a moment before snapping her fingers and nodding. "Good, I want you to take these three to it. Maybe then they'll understand that going with the army isn't the right course for them." Instantly, the four girls' expressions became mixed: Kami was stricken with hurt; Rei with understanding; Ashee remained the same chipper beat; and finally Kara in uncertainty.

"L-Lady Katara?" Kara whispered in a shuttering voice.

Katara simply placed her sinew toned hand on her shoulder and tilted her head. "Kara. I'm counting on you to show these girls their place."

Kara melted at those words and looked to the other girls. "Well, you heard her. Come with me and I can show you something." Kara announced to the trio before starting off back to the city.

The three girls looked back between Katara and Kami's father before groaning and following after Kara in defeat. Katara watched peacefully with a hint of pride as the four girls ventured into the city. "Kam...?" with a flick of her head back, she looked to Kami's father who had been watching his own daughter walk off. "Care to answer me something?"

"Hm? Oh, of course my Lady."

"Do you know how old I was when I found Avatar Aang?"

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><p>Though the city was in a buzz from the call to arms, and many benders and warriors were arming themselves through the city streets, one lone girl seemed to not pay it one mind. Her amber dull eyes just scanned around through the commotion as she had a sack hoisted over her shoulder and yet another bag looped around each of her shoulders firmly. "Welp… So much for business here this week…" taking note of all this again, she steadied herself down the city street, dampening her bandaged feet against the arctic floor despite the sandals she sorted around them. "One can't really do much business if work keeps getting wrenches thrown in it like this."<p>

As one man began to pass her, she grabbed him by his shoulder and stunted him in his tracks. "You. You seem like you have somewhere to head off to. Tell me what's going on?"

The guy eyed her peculiarly; it was odd to see a Fire Nation member hanging around the Southern Water Tribe. However, he quickly shook it off and answered her. "A rebellion's broken out to the North. All available hands are being sent there to –well- stop it." Once her hand unlatched from the man's shoulder, he continued off down his track and left her behind.

She pondered for a moment, cupping her semi-burnt hand to her chin. "Rebellion huh? Well, rebellions usually spark wars if they get out of hand… And if that happens then these 'works are going to be of no use…" she shifted slightly in her red fur coat as the chilling wind swept against her. "…Well… It may slow the cash flow, but looks like I'm heading North." Fixing her bags tightly to her back, she started her way towards the Water Tribe war ship dock; her over shoulder sack flopping ever so slightly against her back. Embroidered on the back of the bag was a small gold stitching of a name: "Li Ko-Han".

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><p>There they stood, the distant edge of the Southern Water Tribe's icy coast. Kara smiled proudly at the trio that had followed her as she gestured to the moderate sized vassal bobbing lazily in the fringed water. To the three of them, it looked like a cross between the sand-sailor Katara had told children about in the village and a traditional Fire Nation docking ship. Two large skis were crafted to each side of the steel ship along with a set of sails. A small living quarter was built atop of it along with a respectable railing that outlined a small open space on the face of the ship. "…Alright… I'll bite," Rei spoke up finally. "What is this thing?"<p>

"Glad you asked," Kara replied, gesturing them to come closer to the ship. "This was a gift to Lady Katara by her brother on Kyoshi Island. Awhile back, he was helping develop a city in the Earth Kingdom. While he was there, they built these new ships he named 'Skidders'; these things can blow across water, land, sea, and apparently lava –but no one was up to testing that theory. Anyway, he gave this one to Katara as a gift." Finishing her explanation, she turned to see that the girls had already taken the liberty of exploring and studying the ship.

"Wait… you said a city in the Earth Kingdom, right? What city?" Rei asked again, finding the whole tale rather suspicious.

"They didn't think of a name for it… that's all I know."

"Yeah, alright. Well, this thing is nice and all, but why did you show us it?" Kami asked while jumping down from one of the ships skis.

"Well… Do you remember hearing when it was that Lady Katara found the Avatar?"

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><p><strong>Alrighty, well, that's that. Enjoy what you read, and go back and re read. Until then- WAIT 2 things!<strong>

**1. Skidder? Sokka named it sooo... any better names for it?**

**2. Let's meet today's characters**

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><p><strong>Kami: age 16. A sharp tongue girl who knows what she wants and knows she wants it now. Her parents are both in the militia of the Southern Water Tribe, her mother being a healer and father being a soldier.<strong>

**Ashee: age 13. What can be said? She's wild, she's exciting, and she knows kung-fu. If anything else can be said, it's that she loves her music just as much or more then the anyone else.**

**Rei: age 16. Born to a Fire Bending father and Water Bending mother, she hasn't yet figured out what her own skill is. She was unfortinently separated from them for the past 10 years.**

**Li: Age -. A known fire works maker and sales woman, she ventures all across the world in search of new business venues. But try not to bring up her past, it wasn't a field of daisies for this skilled fire bender.**

**Kara: age 16. Though her parents live in the Northern Water Tribe, she was sent to the South to be personally trained by Lady Katara. If one thing could be said about her, it's that she is one loyal Tribesgirl.**

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><p><strong>See you in the big times<strong>

**-Overlord**


	4. Chapter four: Advance

**Here we are at last, the story finally setting off towards the grand adventure. I won't keep you long, so enjoy the story.**

**Disclaimer****: I don't own Avatar or ANY CHARACTERS except Harike.**

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><p>Water, Fire, Earth, and Air. Four different nations, four different arts, four different elements, four different styles, and thousands upon thousands of links between them. Anyone is capable of great evil, as well as great good; the same could be said of the elements and those that wield it. A fire bender does not need to destroy; they could use their fire to power engines, war homes, and save heating supplies. A water bender can soothe the body and bend wounds as well as be wrathful and an ever flowing torrent. It is the wheel of fate and ever flowing time that alone knows what one being will do in their future –what they will become over time. Fate even knows who it is that will bind you down those paths… and how you will grow from it.<p>

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><p>Arnook remained stone faced despite the cracking thunder fissuring across the sky. The arctic winds grew into a howl as the dark clouds above churned as if in rage and grew ever darker. Bystanders standing nearby and watching the two standing in the middle of the training field shuddered at to the bone with their robes and fur pelt clothing flapped against the coursing wind. "Chief Arnook… You haven't answered me," Harike asked once more as he tone carried eerily over the crying winds and cracking thunder.<p>

"That is none of your concern boy. Avatar Aang has left us in search of other matters," Arnook replied calmly, still unshaken over the horrendous weather swings.

Looking across the field at Harike, he could've sworn a smirk came across Harike's face from under his hood. "'In search of other matters'? Well… Then I know where he is," Arnook's heart skipped a beat as the winds simmered down and the thunder ceased; to him, that was more frightening. "Rest easy now, Chief. I will be departing once more."

Harike turned on his heel and began to walk off back towards the declining stairs. "Harike!" Arnook called once more, finally succumbing to some sort of anger. "If you continue this foolishness, we will have no choice but—"

Before Arnook could finish his thought, the center of the training field cracked and exploded upward, launching into the air many different ridged shards of ice of varying sizes. Whilst the large chunks of ice flew into the air, the suddenly stopped in the midst of being airborne and turned so the sharpest points were to Arnook and his guards. "…Chief, if I thought for a moment you or your guards had a chance to stop me…" slowly, the giant shards of ice inched closer to the cluster surrounding Arnook seamlessly. "I would just put you down right here and now." Harike, who had his left hand up but back to the chief slowly drooped his arm back down. With his arm came the shards of ice, crashing to the icy surface and cracking the field even more.

Arnook became silent, as did the rest of the masses of Water Tribesman and women as if choked by the very ice shards that just threatened to skewer the elite guards. With nothing more to say, Harike descended down the stairs of the training field and towards the dock, and in turn, his ship.

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><p>Though everyone on the field had grown deathly quiet, four onlookers stationed atop a nearby roof top voiced their shock to one another. "Oh… my…" Elodie managed to choke out from behind her hands that covered her mouth.<p>

"It's… Harike…" Varun added with as much choked worry as Elodie.

"That was kinda cool…" Laya snickered before getting sharp glairs from both Varun and Elodie. "…Well it was."

While the three of them continued to look out at the partly destroyed area and shifting crowd, Dylanna picked herself up with a determined expression. "Guys…" the three friends she dragged into this thus far looked up at her at her soft call. "…We're going." With a flick of her wrist, part of the roof melted and reshaped into a make shift slide that Dylanna quickly slid down, never once losing her focus.

"G-Going?" Varun asked surprised as he followed after her down her slide; both Elodie and Laya gliding down it as well after him.

Once they reached the small road below, they followed off after Dylanna who went southbound through the town towards the guard wall of the city. "Yes, we're going after him," Dylanna explained with a dismal voice as if it was obvious.

Varun nearly stumbled to the freshly snowed floor at her flat words. "W-We're what!"

"Varun, your ears alright? She said we're going after Harike!" Laya shouted into Varun's ear with a cheerful smile.

Once more, Varun almost fell to his side at the great force of the young Water Bender's voice. Skipping ahead, Laya joined to Dylanna's side and left Elodie behind by Varun who was clutching his ear, fearing a burst ear drum caused by Laya. "That's crazy Dylanna! You know how strong he is! All the elders warned us about him!"

Despite his words, Dylanna continued onward with Laya. Elodie slowly grew a warm smile and looked at Varun as they walked next to one another. "She's aware of that. But think of her position," Elodie advised softly before she too joined Dylanna and Laya's small company ahead of him.

A moment passed as Varun just walked in near silence, baffled by the three of them suddenly wanting to go stop this monster they just saw. Before long, Varun groaned and jogged off to catch up with them. "Fine. We'll go, but we're going to need a ship if we're going to catch up with him…" admitting he was out voted and out numbered in this, Varun submitted his idea.

Dylanna smirked to herself before shrugging. "Who said we're catching up with him? But yeah, we will need a ship… And I know just where to get one."

"Are we boat jacking!" Laya asked with a squeal.

Dismissing her idea with a groan, Dylanna pointed towards the great wall of the Northern Water Tribe, and with it the boat dock as they made it to a clearing in the city streets. "No need to steal one, I know someone that'll help." Quickly, she bolted down the way towards the dock.

Her companions looked at each other before following after her, all of which starting to wonder what exactly or who exactly she had in mind. As Laya and Varun continued after her, Elodie halted halfway down a flight of ice crafted stairs and looked off in the distance pass the wall. The looming over cast that once blacked out the noon sun had crept slowly away from the wall and southward. "…He's very fast…" Elodie mused to herself, figuring that the cloud was following Harike. "I hope that ship Dylanna has in mind is faster than whatever that Harike is using…"

…

The chilled arctic water that ebbed stagnant in the small boat yard within the Northern Water Tribe had few large war ships that were gifted to the North by the Fire Nation, traditional Northern Water Tribe vessels, and one fairly rickety looking craft that was secured firmly to one of the anchors on the dock. Beside that vary craft was an older girl with wavy brown hair that cascaded down her green clothed back. The girl seemed to study the ship curiously while adjusting a make shift wooden stand on the dock. "If I knew the weather here was so sporadic, I would've just left the rain guard up on my ship. Now it's gonna rust, and then I'm'a need to pay for that and—" in a huff she slammed her fist to her stand, annoyance fairing in her pale green eyes.

Just as she started to put her craft away, Dylanna and her 'crew' came running down the stretch leading to her and her boat. "Jia!" Dylanna called to the green clothed woman.

Taking her attention away from her stand, she gave a leveled smile and turned herself to face the incoming visitors. "Well, well. Dyla. Coming back for some more goods?"

"Not this time," Jia instantly dropped her smile and just sighed disappointed. "What I need is something much more." Dylanna could've sworn to see Jia's pale eyes shimmer at her words as she began to smile broadly. "I have a proposition for you."

Finally, charging down the stretch, Varun accompanied by Elodie and Laya caught up with their would-be leader and took a look at the woman she was talking to. "A deal? Huh, well now you've got my interest," the others blinked confused as they listened in on the two of them conversing.

"We—"

"There she goes again with the 'we' stuff…" Varun muttered to his two partners.

"—need to use your boat for a trip to the South."

"South huh?" Jia turned to face her rickety, run down ship with a ponderous finger nip against her chin. "Well… business here's pretty dried up. Soooooo…" her eyes quickly scanned over Dylanna and her pack. "Let's say – twenty silver a head?"

The group flinched at her casual tone despite her requirement for a ride. "Twenty silver!" Varun croaked awestruck.

Laya -being the only one that wasn't surprised- only blinked her eyes and tugged on Elodie's coat sleeve. "That's a lot right?"

"Well, it depends on what sort of ride we're paying for," Elodie commented honestly.

"The best ride there is! My old ship's gotten me everywhere in this wide world," Jia defended her ship, patting the side of it with pride. While her palm slapped against the scrap iron sheet coat of it, a rattle sounded off against it. Jia glanced at her ship before giving a small nervous chuckle. "Did I say twenty silver? I meant twenty copper."

"Deal," with a quick fluid flick of her wrist, Dylanna handed the woman a leather bag tied by a sting at the opening. The bag sounded of as it hit Jai's waiting palm with a cling and jingle as its contents shifted about. "Come on guys, all aboard for the Southern Water Tribe." Dylanna instructed them quickly as she hopped aboard the rusted craft, making it bob in the water unsettling.

"Are you crazy? All of this is just insane! We're going after a maniac that can bend water like it's nothing! He's going South too," Varun pointed out aimlessly with a stern look to Dylanna who was settling into the ship.

"He probably is," she replying back casually, "but that's the fun of the whole experience. We're heading off into the unknown with a monster not far behind."

"Is this a game to you!"

Laya and Elodie stepped around Varun as he continued to argue with Dylanna and hopped aboard the ship as well. Varun looked at them surprised, to which Laya snickered and winked at him. "If it's a game, it sounds like one heck of a ride!"

"It doesn't sound all too safe," Elodie admitted while settling onto the inner level of the ship. "But perhaps we can make a difference in all of this. Wouldn't you agree?"

He stared blankly at them for a moment as Jia was unwrapping the anchor to the dock. Peaking her eyes up from the rope, Jia smirked at Varun. "Kid, are you in or out? Because seriously, no refunds."

A momentary groan was all he could muster as he pulled himself up onto the ship. "I hate this so much…"

"Lighten up Varun!" Laya cheered as she hung to the bow of the craft. "We're on an adventure now!"

The four listened to the weak ebbs of the water against the firm ice docks while the ship's rusted rudders creaked unsettlingly along with the ship's propeller. Take a great leap aboard her own ship from off the dock, Jia settled into the landing and looked over the new passengers. "Welcome aboard the _Keigai_! Finest craft money can buy…" a clang sounded off from behind her followed by a small jutted of water spurting out from some of the frame work. "…For under twenty gold!"

The lot great green in their sinew toned faces as they watched Jia patch up the new leaks. "This is gonna suck…" the only boy aboard this floating death trap groaned out.

"Could be worse," Dylanna submitted, to which Varun glared at her as if asking for her to prove it. "…You could've noticed that the bag of money I gave her was yours."

As the gates of the city were lowered for the Earth Kingdom craft to pass into the open water, the entire Northern Water Tribe was treated to a single boy moaning out his anguish.

* * *

><p>"…I trust you two understand?"<p>

"Crystal clear, Fire Lady Mai," Alexandra dipped down into a curtsy along with a slight tug on her robes.

"As you wish…"Aizen simply sounded off, giving nothing more then to give his compliance.

The two of them stood before the slow, simmering fire that span before the throne of the Fire Lord and his Lady. Naturally, atop the thrones were the royalty in question. Zuko looked down at the two of them calmly before opting to speak for himself. "Uncle has given you your mission, so we leave it in your hands."

Aizen picked his head up from his bow and looked to his Lord. "What will you be doing?"

"As things stand, the volcanic activity around the Fire Nation is growing more violent. I'll do what I can to prolong the activity until the Avatar arrives," Zuko relied dryly, placing a palm to his brow from stress.

"We understand, my lord. We'll be leaving at the moment," Zuko gave Aizen and his companion a nod, dismissing them.

The two soundlessly shuffled out of the Royal Hall and left the Fire Lord with his Lady. The two alone, Zuko sank into his seat accompanied with an anguished groan. "Trouble Zuko?" Mai asked with the well knowing his trouble.

"The sages and elders are all the help I have to stop the volcanoes. All our soldiers are being sent to Ba Sing Se along with any able bodied benders. And those two are going after a rebellion leader…" he listed off his concerns to Mai, who simply looked over at him in his throne with dismal amber eyes. "Aang will arrive in about a day if he doesn't hit any trouble."

"…You worry too much, Zuko," the Fire Lady rose from her chair and started to head off down to the hall. "The last thing that could happen is anything getting in Aang's way. A friend needs his help, right?"

Zuko remained in his throne as he absorbed Mai's words. Finally, his lips roused into a warm grin. "He hasn't let us down yet, has he?"

Mai simply waved a hand back at him as she walked out of the main hall, her shoes echoing through the grand halls. The Fire Lord rose from his chair and breathed out his new found relief, which in turn extinguished the flames that danced before his throne. "Everything will work out… I'm sure of it," as the Fire Lord joined Mai in the grand hall of the Royal Palace, the remaining sparks before the throne danced limply in the dimming atmosphere.

…

"So Aizen?" Alexandra ran along side Aizen, who seemed far lacking in interest for anything she had to say. "How is it we're getting to our next stop?"

Her partner remained silent, continuing in his path down the grand stairs outside of the Capital City. His eyes were set fixatedly on the massive stone harbor housing all of the Fire Nation's finest vessels. Alexandra followed his eyes and looked at the harbor herself, instantly picking up on the subtle action. "Oh, I get it now! We're taking that shipping carrier, aren't we?"

Once more, Aizen ignored Alexandra's words and continued down the winding stairs built into the patchy green mountain side that the Capital was built upon. "…You're no fun…" Alexandra finally gave up trying to get a response out of Aizen and just looked on down the path with a dismissive frown.

The two of them ventured the rest of the way to the harbor in a hush, the wind and rumbling earth being the only sound between the two of them. Reaching the harbor, they both saw hundreds of red clothed men and women darting about between the massive, dark iron war ships that lined the holding water made into the harbor. "Is this how the Fire Nation treats just a rebellion? Like someone declared war?" Aizen shot Alexandra a deathly glare before stomping onward and pass the massive of ships. "Just saying… the Fire Nation acts like everything makes them look like little girls if they don't show force," Alexandra continued to voice her opinion to Aizen, who was desperately trying to block her out.

The two of them came to a halt before a smaller ship that resembled the massive warships that were being loaded around it, only with an auburn shaded tarp tightly clasped on the deck of the ship with lumps projecting from under it. Not only that, but the ship looked like it could hold no more then five people comfortably. At last, Aizen spoke up for the first time since they were before Zuko and Mai. "Here. Let's get on this thing and move out."

Alexandra watched Aizen quickly grasp the railing on the side of the ship before effortlessly flipping himself over and aboard the ship. She followed suit, only carefully lifting herself over and plopping down onto the cold steel of the ship deck. "You sure we're ready to move out?"

"Ready or not, Alexandra…" Aizen moved onward into the control room of the ship, entering its poorly lit, small confines. "We're heading after this 'Harike'."

"Aye-aye captain," Alexandra's tone was riddled with distaste as she settled against one of the railings that corralled the deck of the ship.

Slowly, the small ship drifted out away from the loading dock and towards the main gate that lead to the open water. While Aizen and Alexandra were busy seeing to getting out into the open water, they failed to notice that two lumps under the secured tarp were moving of their own accord.

* * *

><p>Though a storm drizzled a hefty amount of rain down from its abysmal, rolling clouds, the sea below remained as still and stagnant as a puddle. Aside from a single dark brown canoe drifting quickly through the dead water, nothing else seemed to move. Aboard the single craft, Harike looked into the sky as he lay peacefully on the floor of the canoe. His golden iris eyes studied the clouds while his hands hung off the sides of the ship, swinging lazily as they dangled above the water. His black hair lay flatly against the skin made flooring with his hood tucked down into the back of his robe, leaving his face exposed to the droplets of rain. "…Go…" he muttered to himself, a slight snicker soon following it.<p>

"Go… Go… row you boat, gently down the sea. Merry me, merry me, merry me, I steal a pot of beans!" He sung to himself as he bobbed his head left and right to the tune set in his mind. "Ah, how I love that song…" taking a moment to peak over his chest and to the water spanning out before him, he gave a pout. "How far _is_ the South Pole? I thought it was a few miles away… What sort of idiot puts the South Pole so far away from the North?" sighing on his final note, he plopped his head back against the damp skin flooring and started to flick his hands faster.

"Oh well… I'll just take a nap…" slowly, his eyes grew heavy and he granted himself a moment of rest. "If I get into a crash, that can be my wake up clock…"

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><p><strong>That felt like a long one. But it was needed so we can get to the fun bit next chapter: STORY TELLING! All next chapter, for the most part, will be spent with each character group so they can tell the story of why they're here... They're on an adventure, they have to talk about their lives eventually. So, if you have a REQUEST for your character's story telling, tell me now or FOREVER hold your peace.<strong>

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><p><strong>Now, we only introduced one character, but that's because I felt it was needed.<strong>

**Jia: age 19. A born sales woman- in all senses of the words. He family was built on the Omashu center of trade and merchant ways. However, she's not the most honest or trust worthy dealer in the world.**

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><p><strong>See you in the big times<strong>

**-Overlord**


	5. Chapter five: Crash

**Alright, here we are once more. But for this, I ask you a quick question. Would you rather have:**

** A. short chapters with more numbers to them that come out faster like I've been doing?**

** or **

**B. longer chapters with less numbers to them but take 1-2 weeks to get ready then a few more days to fix up?**

**Really, doesn't matter to me, I just want you all to be happy and enjoy yourselves. Speaking of which, let's move onto the chapter.**

* * *

><p>Though history will at times view a hero as the single person who toppled whatever form of evil they had faced, such remarks would never befall the Avatar. Many before Aang -Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, Yangchen- had done their duty without noteworthy aid. However, history will always remember them differently; a traitor, a murderer, a slacker, and emotionless. But Aang, the pacifist and idealist, would be remembered as the one Avatar that changed the view of power. Power was once thought to be harnessed through might, tyranny, isolation, and at times sacrifices. But, a way that few had grasped was introduced by this brave Avatar who faced down his fears and saved a Kingdom and in turn the world. Power comes with partners.<p>

Partners who aid you; who guide you; who kick you back to your feet when all seems lost. A kingdom cannot be built on sand, less it falls deep into the rolling dunes. But a nation can be stretched upon the world. Alone, Avatar Aang was a weak child; but with the support of his cohorts and companions, there was nothing he could not do.

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><p>Water jutted out behind the two massive skis in beautiful flows and streams. Those aboard marveled at its speed and precision as the small, metallic ship glided gracefully across the sea. The only one that paid the ship's marvelous speed was Kara, her hair cascading in the salty air as her hands and arms ebbed in guidance of the ship. As Kara remained calm and collected, forcing the water around them to propel the Skidder foreword against its skis, the other girls merely looked out around them at the passing glaciers and floating masses. Ashee propped herself firmly over the railing of the ship as she inspected the passing scenery. "It sure is nice out here!" Ashee giggled to the rest of her team.<p>

The rest of them merely glanced at her for a second before smiling slightly. "You don't get out much, do you?" Kami half asked and mocked her before shrugging nonchalant like. "You've seen one glacier, you've seen them all."

"I bet I've seen _far_ more then you've ever seen," Ashee snapped back with a stick of her tongue.

Kami raised a finger to object, but quickly shot herself down and looked off to the side dismissively. "I'm not like dad… I don't leave the village often," Kami said softly, seeming almost as if defeated. "No matter how much I wanted to leave the village."

Her two partners looked at each other confused before turning their attention back to Kami. "Why leave?" Rei asked in a sensual tone while also taking a few steps closer to her and planning herself next to her.

For a second, Kami smirked and scoffed off her own idea. "It's stupid when I think of it. My sister Hara was always such a spoiled brat, and her pack of harpies were no different," she paused a moment before her expression turned to her normal manner with a smug smile. "Other then that, my life was pretty cool there."

"Yeah… sounds like a simple life really," Rei commented off handedly before picking herself up and moving back towards the railing.

Slowly, as if the ship had slowed down, everything started to roll down from there with Kami opening her mouth. "What about you guys?" Everyone turned their attention back to her, including Kara as she steadily slowed the craft down to hear better what she said. Kami looked about between them and scoffed with a held in laugh. "Don't give me those looks. If we're going to be traveling together we may ask well get to know each other, right?"

The lot of them thought for a second, Kara slowly stopping her water control and stepping off her ski and aboard the ship. "…Well. I wish I could say my life was as simple as yours, Kami; no offence," Kami waved the idea off before Rei continued. "But my life was far from simple. I lost my father and mother ten years ago…" despite how grave her words hit her friends, Rei didn't seem saddened by this, but hopeful. She saw the looks on their faces and quickly grew surprised. "Oh! Uh, they're not dead. At least, I don't think they are. They gave me up when I was six because… d-difficulties…"

"'Difficulties'? What kind of difficulties would make two parents give up their child?" Kara asked in reply, partly angered by what she heard.

"Mom was a water bender and dad was a… well… you know… his hands could kinda shoot fire?" she mumbled it out all the while of pantomiming a punch into the air.

They grew surprised across their faces as they pieced the easy hint together. "Wait… so that makes you a—"

"I don't know Kara… I don't know what I can bend yet…" disappointed with herself Rei looked off at the slowly passing ice clusters as the boat lazily drifted foreword. "I've never tried to figure it out. I live in the Southern Water Tribe; think what would happen if one day I shot a fire ball at a building? I'm afraid to face that truth is all…"

No one said a word; none of them could say anything about it. However, Kara picked her head up from looking at the deck floor and smiled. "At least you got potential," she offered her down trot companion. "If you don't know what you can do, maybe you can be the first the first water tribe member to bend fire; or the first fire nationer to bend water."

Rei shook her head with a snicker after dropping her disappointment. "Maybe… we'll just have to wait and see I guess... anyway, what about you Kara?" the question caught Kara off guard as her light blue eyes flickered in surprise at her questioner. "Kami and I shared a piece of our lives; what about you?"

She allowed a moment to pass, taking a look at the still passing mounds of ice before stroking back her dark strands of hair back, making no effort to contain her distaste of answering. "Well, I moved here to the South Pole after some… trouble… in the North when I was eight. My parents still live there, but they thought if I studied under Lady Katara, I could become one of the greatest water benders the world has ever seen… much like my Master herself," Kara nearly boasted over the last bits of her story as the others simple listened in.

"What kind of trouble?"

Kara flinched from Rei's quick question but refused to let her smile move an inch from her tanned face. "Uh, well… it kinda has to do with some old friends of mine –but whatever! What about you Ashee?" shifting the attention off her the best she could, the others narrowed their eyes but reluctantly turned to Ashee who had been dangling her legs over the railing of the ship.

"Hm?" Ashee cocked her head back to look at the others and giggled. "If I told you _my_ story, you'd _never_ believe it!" no one argued with her, only nodded and returned their gazes on Kara.

"So, about this—" But before Rei could press on, Kara moved to the head of the ship with a curious look off ahead of them.

"What the—is that a ship?" she muttered to the others, seeing a small brown boat drifting lazily towards them, noticing two hands hanging out the side of it as it seemed the water was moving it alone.

The two crafts inched closer and closer towards each other, giving the girls that had all gathered at the head of the ship a better look at the incoming canoe. "Weird… should we attack it?" Ashee asked frankly with a turn of her head to the others.

Kami immediately shot her a glair and disapprovingly shook her head. "Are you some kind of idiot?"

"No, I'm some kind of water bender."

"Ugh… whatever. Should we check on that ship?" Kami asked the others, not even attempting to give the question to Ashee.

Not even a moment Kami offered the idea, a small bump knock up against the side of the ship as the single canoe wedged itself between one of the skis and the main body of the Skidder. They all turned their attention to it and the passenger lying inside it. "Well, I guess we have no choice now, do we?" Ashee snickered.

Slowly, as their eyes were fixed on the single blue robed boy lying inside of the canoe, he stirred and cracked one eye open to examine his surroundings. Surprised, he sprung to his feet and franticly looked around him. "Crap! Some kind of mechanical demon's caught my poor ship!" he yelped with fear before turning fully around to see the girls aboard above him. "Double crap! Female pirates!"

Confusion swept across the four of them, exchanging looks before Rei spoke up with a tone of uncertainty. "Um? Are you alright?"

He searched the four of their faces before snapping his fingers and grabbing onto the railing above him the protected the deck of the ship. "You're water tribe girls!" he realized as he pulled himself aboard without invitation. "Sorry about yelling, I was kinda expecting the next place for me to hit being the Southern Water Tribe."

"The South Pole?" Kara asked, feeling a form of remembrance stick in the back of her neck as she looked the boy over. "Why're you heading there? Weren't all the benders supposed to be going North to take care of the rebellion?"

Suddenly, the smile faded from the boy before he fixed his robe, letting his hood unfold from the slit of his robe. "Rebellion huh? First I hear of it… So I'm close to the South Pole right now?"

Kara readied to answer him, but was quickly cut off by Kami stomping towards their visitor and pushing her finger into his chest. "Hold up right there! First tell us why you're going there," she demanded without a hint of fear.

The boy blinked for a second before smiling and taking her hand, shaking it violently much to her surprise. "My name's Harike. Nice to meet you four. And the reason I'm going there is well…" reaching behind him in a small satchel hanging from his hip, he produced a crinkled up piece of paper. "It's pretty embarrassing, but I'm a painter. I made this picture a year ago and I wanted to show it to the greatest Water Tribeswoman I could think of: Lady Katara of the Southern Water Tribe."

Kami snatched the paper away from him and studied the image, turning it here and about constantly to try and make sense of it. It wasn't until Rei peeked over her shoulder with a snicker that Kami knew what it was. "That's a picture of Hei Bei, Kami."

"I knew that!" she snapped back as her hands pushed the picture back into Harike's hands.

"Anyways, so can you tell me if I'm almost there?"

"Yeah, you're almost there. But aren't you going to go help with the fight against the rebellion?" Kara finally spoke up again as Harike turned to get back on his ship.

Looking of his shoulder with a toothy smile, Harike shook his head. "Believe me; chances are that the fight will catch up with me sooner or later. I'll just wait until then," that said, he jumped down into his ship and quickly flicked his arms about, pushing the water around him and the Skidder to ebb and dislodge his craft from between its ski. "Oh!" turning to them once more as his canoe swerved through the water and around the ski he was previously caught between, he gave them a quick salute. "If you're going to the Northern Water Tribe, you'll probably run into another ship from there. If you do, could you tell Dylanna that I'll meet them at Ba Sing Se next? I at least want them to catch up with me sooner or later, I'm sure they want to say something to me," leaving the four of them confused with his directions, Harike suddenly disappeared off to the South in an explosion of water surging from behind his boat.

They all watched in awe as the small canoe grew smaller and smaller in the distance behind them. "…That was weird…" Rei admitted in an off-handed whisper. Suddenly, she cocked her head back to Kara. "So about that thing you were saying?"

"Come on!" Kara annoyingly snarled, returning to her position on one of the skis to continue themselves foreword. Wavering her arms slowly in an elegant form, the waves began to pound against the skis and gradually propelled it foreword. As the others changed their attention back to the open sea rolling in front of them again, Kara looked back towards the ship they just encountered. In her heart, she felt something sinking as she saw a swirl of dark clouds gathering towards the South Pole.

* * *

><p>Harike glanced back around him, seeing the odd craft he was just aboard shrinking away into the distance. Gradually, he slowed his craft down and settled himself down into one of the wooden planks that served as a seat in his canoe. As he planted himself down, his hands moved to the loop of the hood that hung down his back. Slowly, he drew the hood over his head, bringing with it a gurgle of thunder from the swirling clouds above. Gently, rain gradually pattered down against his cloaked head and against the skin of his inner canoe; growing faster and more violent as the seconds passed. "It seems that the South wasn't informed of the name that the person they're searching for has… how serendipitous for me," smirking darkly to himself he reached behind him to a case tucked under some skins.<p>

He drew the case out from under the skins and studied it, running his fingers against its wooden shell. "If Sokka's here too…" muttering to himself, he creaked the lid of the case open and took note of the sleek, black surface of the object inside it with interest, "then I can show _him _what I found…" clacking the case closed once more, Harike started to tremble, a low laugh beginning deep in his chest. "Justice will soon be mine, Aang… Everything, will, be, mine!" He screamed up towards the sky as lightning jutted through the dark over cast, and the stones of the rain crackled against the chilled sea face.

In the midst of his laughter, his hood sloped off of his head and he frowned. "…Who am I talking to?"

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><p><strong>There we are, we've set those five up and now to set the other groups up. I plan to do the other two groups together in the next chapter before I do whatever you guys want (A. or B.). Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter, because in two chapters, people gonna' get HURT!<strong>

**See you in the big times**

**-Overlord**


	6. Chapter six: Brawl

**Alright, here we are, chapter six. Hope you all enjoy! BUT WAIT! Today I offer you yet another choice much like last time. So as not to keep this story from being constantly stale and bland chapter to chapter, I offer that once after every six chapters we have a little fun. Sound good? "But wait, what do you mean!" Well, i'll tell you at the end... See you then.**

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><p>Chance brings destinies colliding together; and in that collision of worlds, they become entangled for whatever the reason. No chance run in happens for no reason; every interaction and encounter one makes plays into their destiny; their fate. It was by chance occurrences that Avatar Aang toppled the Fire Lord off of his throne eighteen years ago. A chance occurrence of a young, bright eyed water bender splitting an ice berg; of a run away that was gifted with no sight to wander into a new life; of a tormented teen to make his own rights and wrongs and face down the demons of his life; chance that bring upon a new life that perhaps should not have seen the surfaced light. Everything happens- reason or not…<p>

* * *

><p>"…Are we—"<p>

"No!" Aizen snapped aggravated, blowing another rage filled puff of fire into the engine of his ship.

As the smoke stack above the ship erupted its plum of curling smoke, Alexandra snickered and leaned back against one of the steel plated walls. "Someone's cranky," she tuned out with a wag of her finger.

The small craft the two had taken passage on continued to tug ahead towards the South; in hopes - towards 'Harike'. Aizen, while feeding his fire into the roaring engine of the ship, cast his gaze over his shoulder at Alexandra who had switched from looking at him to the open water out before the ship. Slowly, through pursed lips, he grunted. "I'm sorry…" the words came out sharp and forced, but it got Alexandra's attention.

"Sorry? What do _you_ have to be sorry for?" she honestly asked him despite her slightly spited tone.

"Nothing I guess. I figured that's what you wanted to hear…"

Alexandra suddenly frowned and got to her feet. Without a word, she turned away and walked off to the open sect of the ship. "Just like your kind… empty words," she cursed before leaning over the railing of the ship and taking in the ocean air.

"What's that supposed to mean!" Aizen snapped with a sharp turn away from the engine after firing another powerful flux into it.

He stormed over to his partner as she lazily looked off to the open water, completely ignoring him and skipping even acknowledging him. Suddenly, her voice chimed out over the coursing water crashing against the frame of the ship, bringing Aizen to a cold halt. "My parents were good people you know? But that didn't matter to your people… they burned down along with that old house of ours…"

Aizen could only stand by and absorb her words. At first, it felt like a cold whip to him, but slowly, it warmed away and he smirked. "They must've been traders."

Instead of growing angry, Alexandra smiled softly and cocked an eye over her shoulder, letting out a half hearted chuckle. "At least I have family and know what happened to my parents… I hear yours just abandoned you."

Fire sparked from Aizen's finger tips as he took that harsh blow. He stretched his fingers in an attempt to calm himself, but to no avail. "I don't need a family… I had Master Iroh and his family to take care of me!"

"Really? That's good… So what about Azula?"

The metal railing of the ship began to bubble as it grew red from Aizen's heating body. His hands and armor cascaded along with the flames that sparked like flares off his body, rage powering out of every pore with it. "Don't you dare-!"

Before he could finish his threat, Alexandra straightened up and squinted her eyes to strain the distance. Slowly but surely, her eyes caught sight of an incoming vessel. "Hey! A ship!" she pointed out.

Despite Aizen's fuming anger, he looked off towards the approaching ship as well. Gradually, he noticed the ship gaining speed and growing closer and closer. Back-stepping in a hurry, he went back to the engine room and took hold of the pegged wheel and attempted to divert the ship's course. "Alexandra! Hold onto something!" He ordered in a harsh tone.

Without question, Alexandra linked her arms around the steel railing of the deck. The ship tugged at Aizen's control, jerking to the right in a despite attempt to avoid the incoming craft. Unfortunately, the turn came up too short as the other craft, skis guiding it, drilled into the side of the Fire Nation vessel and nearly toppled it over to its other side. Alexandra gave a sharp yelp as she was bucked upward off the ground and her arms remained clamped around the railing. Aizen on the other hand was sent flying upward inside the engine room and smacked his head up against the ceiling with a loud crack. As the two attempted to regain their composer, the distant sound of bickering escaladed from the other craft.

"That's why you don't get to drive, Kami! You made us hit another ship!" Kara scolded while trying to fix the bend in the Skidder's nose. "This was a loan from Lady Katara! She'll be so bad when she sees we dented it!"

"Chill out, Kara. We'll fix it in the—" while attempting to ease Kara, Kami noticed the other ship had two people attempting to re-stabilize themselves. "Cool! Other people!"

Rei groaned at Kami's statement and moved off ahead of her towards the other ship, making careful aim not to fall into the sub-arctic water below. "Did you think it was an abandoned ship? Of course people will be on it!"

Rei settled herself aboard the Fire Nation craft as it slowly regained settlement in the water, bobbing slightly as the fresh waves knocked against it. She scanned her blue eyes carefully over the area of the ship, noticing that the railing of the ship seemed to have recently been partially melted. Before taking any more of the ship's structure in, a straight whip of fire coursed before Rei's face, nearly searing her face. "Holy-!" delivering a sharp attentive glance to her right, she saw a boy sporting traditional Fire Nation armor standing by with his fist clenched in her direction.

Aizen's dark brown eyes flickered with the flaring chi roaring through his body. A powerful stomp foreword and a thrust of his clenched fist, fire enveloped before him and roared off towards a still stunned Rei. "Be nice if I could bend right now_!"_ Rei cursed out to the gradually heating air.

Inches before colliding with Rei's paralyzed form, it fell short with a simmering defeat as a wall of ice was quickly formed before Rei. The fire flickered out as it was reduced to steam when it mixed with the cold of the thin sheet of ice that protected Rei. Rei quickly looked to her side and saw Kara positioned atop the railing of the ship, balancing perfectly while her hands remained in a ready stance; hands held flat out before her and eyes fixed into a glare on Aizen. "Rei… get back to the ship," Kara instructed, the previously melted wall that protected Rei slithering in its liquid form towards Kara.

Rei took no hesitation in complying, quickly hopping the railing but stopping short by Kara with concern in her eyes. "Watch your back…" Kara replied with a nod that permitted Rei to scramble back aboard the Skidder.

The two of them stared the other down, Aizen inching out from the cover of the engine room and partway towards the tarp that was secured in the center of the ship deck. The small puddles of water that the melted ice had become gradually crawled up the railing Kara was positioned atop of and flowed majestically up her legs and torso to the length of her arms; finally culminating at her fingertips into shards of ice protruding like nails off of them. Aizen blinked surprised before flexing his hand in her direction provokingly. "An ice bender? Not the best choice of style to use on a fire bender…"

"You'd be surprised what I can do with ice!" with a sharp kick off of the railing, Kara flung herself into the air and whipped the ice shards off her hands and straight at Aizen.

Aizen made no effort of dodging the attack as he flicked a single hand in a fanning motion, dissolving the ice crystals into steaming droplets before they could touch him. Kara took note of Aizen's control and the second her feet made contact with the cold of the deck floor, she spun around and dived at Aizen head on. Her target turned around disarmingly and readied his arm for a swift flick of fire. To his dismay, however, Kara manifested a cluster of water into her palms from the water around them that swiftly sharpened out into a fine pointed spear. Risking no more then just a scratch, Aizen pushed his palm downward against the point of the ice-born spear, igniting his hand with a burning fire and pushing himself up and over Kara.

Despite her spear being melted at the head, Kara smirked and spun around to face her target. As she thought and hoped, Aizen was looking at his previously used hand, a hot stream of blood trickling from the new gash in it. "Risking your hand over your stomach? You've been trained well," Kara genuinely complemented while reshaping her spear into a single handed sword with a wave of her free hand.

Aizen, ignoring his bleeding hand scoffed and retook a stance. "Wish I could say the same about you… sloppy," Kara quickly scowled at Aizen's words and lunged at him, sword at the ready.

Within striking distance of Aizen, Kara threw her blade above her head before bringing it down towards Aizen's head. A loud clang met with a crackle as Kara's ice-born sword didn't make contact with Aizen himself, but with an actual single handed blade held on its side in protection above Aizen. The water bender gasped sharply and followed the sword to whoever was holding it and was surprised to see another girl wearing a red and black dress scowling at her as she struggled to repel her attack. "Aizen… you dropped your sword," Alexandra grunted out as she slowly pushed Kara away from her partner with the face of the blade.

Aizen looked surprised before smiling and hopping to his feet. "Better late than never I suppose," plucking the sword out of Alexandra's shaky grip, Aizen twirled the blade around his shoulder before pointing its point at Kara who was starting to regain her footing from the reel back.

The two of them met eyes and lunged at each other, exchanging blow after clashing blow of steel against stone hard ice. Each one of Aizen's strikes sent shards and debris off Kara's make shift sword; to which the bender quickly forced back on with flicks and flexes of her free hand. Kara drew in a sharp breath as her arms began to give out from the pressure Aizen was applying against her sword. Despite anything, Kara knew that it was only a matter of time before she would have to put her guard down. Aizen took another downward swing at Kara, to which she blocked with a shaky hold on her own blade. A devilish smirk came to Aizen as he brought his leg up and kneed Kara in her exposed gut.

She gave out a dry heave as her hand unclasped her blade and allowed it to crack against the steel flooring. Her hands flew to her gut as she followed her blade to the ground, taking a knee and cringing with pain. "Like I said…" Aizen commented, pulling his blade back to lay a final strike at his downed opponent. "Slop-"

Before Aizen could finish his thought or lay in his attack, a whip of water flicked out of the water behind Kara and over the railing; instantly attacking and pushing Aizen to the other side of the ship like a snake.

Slowly, Kami lowered her arms and hopped aboard the Fire Nation ship. "No one puts Kami in a corner," she pointed out while helping Kara back to her feet.

Both Aizen and Alexandra who had hurried to his side looked over to the two water benders. Kami eyed down the two of them and snarled angrily. "You wanna tell us why you just up and attacked us!" she ordered while trying to get Kara some footing after her battle.

Alexandra narrowed her eyes and turned her head to Aizen, who was drenched in the frigid water that was used to hit him. "Yeah, why did _you _attack them?" she asked, stressing the point it was Aizen that attack out of the two of them.

Coughing out some of the salty water that had been caught into his mouth, he looked up at the two water tribe girls. "You hit our ship; I thought you might've been sent to stop us…"

Finally regaining her composure, Kara staggered a glance at Aizen but continued to frown. "Sent to stop you? Who would be trying to stop you?"

"And why?" Rei asked from across the distance of the two boats.

Aizen gave Alexandra a look, to which she nodded as if giving him the okay. "Well… we were sent by the Fire Lord to put a stop to a growing rebellion."

"The Fire Lord sent you?" Kara asked genuinely taken back as her brows furrowed. "Lady Katara sent us to the North for the very same reason…"

"What!" Aizen grew furious with a grit of his teeth. "Harike isn't in the South?"

Suddenly, the passengers of the Skidder felt the chill of the arctic slither down their backs as they all grew stiff save Ashee who tapped her chin in a ponder. "Harike… Harike… where did I hear that name…?"

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><p><strong>Now I'm sure you want to know about that six chapter idea I had. Well here it is. After every six chapters we can have one cool off chapter. A chapter that has NO continuity, NO connection with the story, and NO effect on what's going to happen. Think of it as a fun little chapter were everyone, even the Gaang, can hang out together and do something out of their world or just as a whole.<strong>

**Ex.: Harike and the other water benders talking about their rite of passages together, then getting in a fight about who's was more cool.**

**Ex.: Li and Jia comparing who has more money and better ideas, then dragging others into it.**

**Ex.: The boys comparing which girl is more atractive, only to get in trouble by the girls.**

**Etc. etc.**

**Sound fun? If not, just ignore it and move on. If you guys don't want to do that, that's fine by me. I just wanted to give everyone a funny and lighthearted adventure were ANYTHING can happen without consiquiences. Anyway, moving on ^^.**

* * *

><p><strong>By the way, I thought if I put the character bios at the end of each chapter as a whole (whoever is IN the story thus far) would make things a little smoother:<strong>

**Laya: age 16. A powerful healer that lost her parents before she could tragically know them. N****one the less, that hasn't dampened her spirit, she's our regular Water Bender fire cracker. Also so, she's a self taught Water Bender in the form of attack, but don't tell mommy!**

**Dylanna: age 14. A born aristocrat destined for elegance she spits on the high society life style and prefers getting down and dirty with the boys. She hates being under anyone's thumb and lives to run free and be her own. But under it all, she has a craving to sometimes, just maybe, be seen as a girl.**

**Varun: age 15. Coming a family of three boys, he's been the one to shine out as the most talented in Water Bending. Don't let his thoughtful and stratigic outlook fool you, he's a regular hound when it comes to the ladies; but don't tell his close friend Dylanna, he can't handle anymore hits!**

**Elodie: age 15. Found drifting in the chilled waters of the Northern Water Tribe after her parents where senselessly murdered, she was seen as a child of great potential and was put to training the moment she could be. Fairly unshaken by her loss, she's a sweet and lighthearted girl.**

**Harike: age 19. Born and raised in the Northern Water Tribe, he left home at age 10 to perfect his art of bending. Those that meet him call him a caring and gentle boy, while those that hear of him think him a monster with a sick mind. Though never prone to use his bending, he's thought to have amazing bending.**

**Lotus: age 17. A regular fish out of water; or bender out of water. A born water bender who lost her dear mother when she sought out the Avatar for healing but died on the way. Her life is filled with drama and tragity; isn't that fun?**

**Aizen: age 15. He never knew his parents but found shelter in Iroh's teaching and watch. Unfortuntley, despite his promise of being a great bender, he spent one too many times with a certain Fire Bender and was corrupted from such.**

**Alexandra: age 17. Born with the power of the very Nation she hated, she became a skilled Fire Bender. Though her parents were killed by an inflamed home, she was taken in by her Grandpa Joe.**

**Aylin: age 17. Born in greed, raised in hate, all in the name of honoring the throne of Fire Lord Ozai. Her parent's influence hasn't rubbed off her positively, making her a twisted girl bent on her own goals fulfillment.**

**Kami: age 16. A sharp tongue girl who knows what she wants and knows she wants it now. Her parents are both in the militia of the Southern Water Tribe, her mother being a healer and father being a soldier.**

**Ashee: age 13. What can be said? She's wild, she's exciting, and she knows kung-fu. If anything else can be said, it's that she loves her music just as much or more then the anyone else.**

**Rei: age 16. Born to a Fire Bending father and Water Bending mother, she hasn't yet figured out what her own skill is. She was unfortinently separated from them for the past 10 years.**

**Li: Age -. A known fire works maker and sales woman, she ventures all across the world in search of new business venues. But try not to bring up her past, it wasn't a field of daisies for this skilled fire bender.**

**Kara: age 16. Though her parents live in the Northern Water Tribe, she was sent to the South to be personally trained by Lady Katara. If one thing could be said about her, it's that she is one loyal Tribesgirl.**

****Jia: age 19. A born sales woman- in all senses of the words. He family was built on the Omashu center of trade and merchant ways. However, she's not the most honest or trust worthy dealer in the world.****

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><p><strong><strong>Alright, now I hope to see you all later. And always remember to review and enjoy yourselves. Take it easy for once people.<strong>**

****See you in the big times****

-Overlord


	7. SubChapter one

**Enough waiting around! Let's have some play time! That's right, time for things to stop making sense and start getting funny, cool, cute, random, and just all around unwinding. After this, we'll get right back to work. So until then, sit back and relax. Also, if you have any problems with character interpretation, tell me now because I'm not going back.**

* * *

><p>"Varun!" Harike called as he bounded up to him, a smile plastered on his un-hooded face.<p>

Varun, who had been speaking to the rest of the boys turned around and gave Harike a pleasant smile. "Hey man. You need something?"

"Well… no… But look here, I was walking by the girls a second ago—"

"Stalker!" Dijoi coughed off handedly, bringing a snicker from a few others.

"Oh, hah hah. Hello kettle, you're black," Harike returned with a mocking tone.

Dijoi took a single bounding step towards Harike, only to be pulled back by Graye and Turakk. Varun gave a groan before looking back at Harike. "You were saying?"

"I was saying something?" Harike cocked his head for a second before snapping his fingers. "Oh right! The girls! Well, you see…" Harike took a quick look behind him then gestured for all the boys to come in close. Hesitant as some were, they pulled in close and offered an ear to the Water Bender. "I heard they have… a list." He explained in a hush tone.

Suddenly, the boys became curious, but it was Varun who voiced the question: "What kind of list?"

"A list of names…"

"What kind of list of names?" Graye pressed.

"One written in ink…"

"…What kind of ink?" Turakk asked in a serious tone, which was met by disbelieving looks from the others.

"I'm sure it was written in ink you idiot!" Dijoi snapped. "What was written on it?"

"Don't need to get so testy Dij… I got a short look at it before they saw me…"

"And? What'd say?" Varun pressed further, starting to feel a blunt pain grow in the roof of his head.

"It said… Grara…"

For a moment, no one made a sound; they only looked at Harike with confused stares. The moment passed slowly before Graye shook his head with a chuckle. "Grara? Are you losing your ability to read, Harike?"

"Hey! I was reading books before you could even spell your name!" Harike fired back as he shot up to a stand.

"You're a year older then me!"

"And you're a nitwit!" Harike stuck his tongue out as Graye clenched his fist and moved in towards Harike.

Before he could get a foot close, Varun quickly pushed the two away from each other aggravated. "Control your tempers you two!" with a quick nudge, he pushed Graye back towards Dijoi and snapped a sharp glare at Harike. "You're a child!"

Harike looked down at the grassy ground beneath them sadly, but soon smiled again and clapped his hands. "Well anyway, what do you guys think about that list I saw?"

"Well, how do you know it was a list?" Varun asked, trying to move off the previous ill air they were all sharing.

"Yeah, you only saw one word… and it didn't even make sense!"

"Correct you are Turakk… but I over heard other things they said about the list."

"Like what?"

"I heard them say Alezen, Varanna, Lotike… the list goes on, and on, and on, and—"

"We get it Harike!" Aizen interrupted with a dijecting hand.

"So what does it mean?" Harike searched everyone's faces, but they seemed just as stumped.

The boys continued to scratch, strain, and ponder the single thought of this list. Suddenly, their thoughts came to a halt when a low laugh rose from behind Harike. They all turned to face whoever it was only to see Jia standing their, arms crossed before her chest. "You guys really this stupid?" She asked, still retaining her low laugh.

"Stupid? We're not stupid!" Harike protested.

"Yeah! Only Harike's stupid!" Aizen pointed out with a stern point at the subject.

"Yeah!" Harike agreed before shaking his head and looking at Aizen. "Wait, what?"

"Let me ask you guys this… you ever hear of Zutara?" the boys continued to look at her, visibly stumped. "O-kay…? Tokka? Sukka?" Once more, she received only blank stares. "…Azutara?" Suddenly, the boys erupted with oh's and yeah's, to which Jia only sighed and shook her head to.

* * *

><p>"Alright guys!" Kara shouted out to everyone scattered about the Northern Water Tribe buildings and streets. "We're ready!" Laya stood with her back pressed tightly to Kara's, a broad grin stretched on her visage.<p>

"Whenever you guys are ready!" at Laya's final call, the sky became red with an incoming shower of fire, followed by the walls and streets around them peeling away into razor sharp whips and ice crystals.

With a synchronized turn, the two girls cocked their legs against each other and pulled the snow around them in front of each of their chests; Kara forming the water into a rounded ice-born shield while Laya flexed the water out before her in a pluming motion. The air above the two girls quickly became gray with steam as Laya's water extinguished the drawing fire while Kara used her shield to repel the multiple lashes and flings of ice and water sent at the two of them. Suddenly, Kara threw her shield to the air and snatched one of the incoming ice blades from the sky, immediately sending it right back to the direction it was fired from. "GAH! Kara!" Screamed Varun as he ran out from the cover of a snow mound, the ice blade wedged in his knee cap. "You didn't say you'd fire back!"

"Oh man, sorry Varun!" Kara apologized, quickly stepping away from Laya to tend to her friend.

Just then, Varun smirked as a nearby snow made wall crumbled down to reveal a powder snow covered Aizen and Harike. "Gotcha!" The two of them laughed as Varun removed the blade from his knee which had been covered with a small ice pack for protection and darted away.

Kara attempted to brace herself despite her surprise while Aizen's hands went ablaze and Harike flicked his arms foreword, summoning the rest of the wall to turn to water and surge towards her. But, just as suddenly as the attack began, it abruptly ended with a loud crack. Kara looked at her two attacks only to see them on their backs while Laya stood before them, Kara's ice-born shield tightly clenched in both her hands. Kara smiled and looked to the sky. "Nice try guys! We win!" the area around them was suddenly filled with groans of disappointment as Aizen and Harike remained sprawled out on the powdery floor, both of which over come with a splitting headache.

* * *

><p>"Today, we're joined by all the welcomed adventures in this new adventure. It's a pleasure to see you all here," the lot of them smile and nod while each is settled in their own arm chair. "Now then, today, I will be asking each of you a single question; please answer honestly…"<p>

"Honesty costs extra!" Jia told the announcer.

"Well, if you won't answer honestly, we could just kick you out?"

"…Neh. Fine, honest…"

"Very good, here's your question everyone: who is the one person you can't stand? Laya, let's start with you."

"Hmm… tough one… oh wait, no it's not; Harike!"

"Dylanna?"

"Either Varun or Harike… for different reasons, really."

"Varun?"

"Aizen…"

"Elodie?"

"No one really… really, I-I don't _hate _anyone."

"Harike?"

"Hate is for the weak minded. But yeah, I hate Aang."

"Lotus?"

"Oh I could name a few people… but that wouldn't be very nice, would it?"

"Aizen?"

"Anyone that steps on the Royal Family's shoes!"

"Alexandra?"

"Well I don't—Aizen."

"Aylin?"

"Fire Lord Zuko! Who else?"

"Kami?"

"I hate you for not shutting up yet!"

"Very good… Ashee?"

"Well, there was that one girl that kept following me everywhere… so yeah, my shadow."

"Rei?"

"Fire Nationers… Not you guys, you guys are nice… Except you Graye…"

"Li?"

"People that rip me off…"

"Kara?"

"Those jerks who don't care for Lady Katara's kindness!"

"Jia?"

"My family… but I bet they wish they were me now! HAH! I'm rollin' in—"

"Ruri?"

"Whoever took my family from me… what kind of person does that?"

"Sad… Dijoi?"

"Why don't you love—"

"Thank you… Yukutia?"

"—Lotus, Lotus, Lotus, Lotus!"

"Tae?"

"Daddy… and mommy."

"Zahi?"

"Don't know, don't care."

"Good answer… Natsume?"

"The Avatar, I hate the avatar!"

"Aya?"

"Pigs… scoundrels… men as a whole really."

"Aaidi?"

"The fire nation… isn't that obvious?"

"Turakk?"

"Yo' momma!"

"Indeed, indeed… Graye?"

"I could name _a lot_ of people… but let's start with you."

"Arianna?"

"I still have some lingering hate for the Avatar… but… yeah."

"Lien?"

"Zuko! I'm still repairing the house he burned down!"

"Saola?"

"I could say dad… but it's just as much mom…"

"Tandoku?"

"The monster that took my life away in that one single flash…"

"Finally, Isidro?"

"…"

"Would seem he fell asleep. But I'm sure he would've said Fire benders… Thank you all for coming and I hope to see you all next time."

* * *

><p>"Dij?"<p>

"Graye? What do you want?"

"How do you get the girl?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"You've got two girls."

"What? No, I don't even have Lotus yet… but I will sooner or later."

"Yeah, that stalking her has worked so well so far…"

"You just don't understand love."

"Does it have to do with watching her through a periscope from a place they can't see?"

"I don't do that!"

"Yet… Anyway, you obviously don't know about her care for you."

"Who? Lotus? She said something about me?"

"No, I meant—"

"What'd she say?"

"…You know what? Never mind…"

* * *

><p>"'Shame as it were, the light fell for the darkness. And the darkness embraced the light; not through vane or submission, but of devotion…' I love that story," Harike muttered softly, Lotus leaning back in the chirping night while the rest settled to bed.<p>

"Where'd you hear that story?" Lotus asked in a cool tone.

With a run of his fingers through his thick black hair, Harike chuckled lowly so as not to wake the others. "I spent a long piece of my life in a library… After awhile you start to memorize some of the stories you read."

"You sure lived an interesting life…"

Harike cocked his head and gave Lotus a kind look with his amber eyes. "I do now."

* * *

><p><strong>Wasn't that fun? I hope so. Anyway, in another six chapters, we can do this again. Unless you guys want this sort of thing more often, we can do it more often. Now then, I hope you enjoyed yourselves and I hope to see you all next time.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Now then, time for the FINAL LIST! If a character isn't on here, it doesn't mean anything bad… It just means your character won't be on because something just didn't work. Sorry for the trouble, but here you are.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Laya: age 16. Female. A powerful healer that lost her parents before she could tragically know them. None the less, that hasn't dampened her spirit, she's our regular Water Bender fire cracker. Also so, she's a self taught Water Bender in the form of attack, but don't tell mommy!<strong>

**Dylanna: age 14. Female. A born aristocrat destined for elegance she spits on the high society life style and prefers getting down and dirty with the boys. She hates being under anyone's thumb and lives to run free and be her own. But under it all, she has a craving to sometimes, just maybe, be seen as a girl.**

**Varun: age 15. Male. Coming a family of three boys, he's been the one to shine out as the most talented in Water Bending. Don't let his thoughtful and strategic outlook fool you, he's a regular hound when it comes to the ladies; but don't tell his close friend Dylanna, he can't handle anymore hits!**

**Elodie: age 15. Female. Found drifting in the chilled waters of the Northern Water Tribe after her parents where senselessly murdered, she was seen as a child of great potential and was put to training the moment she could be. Fairly unshaken by her loss, she's a sweet and lighthearted girl.**

**Harike: age 19. Male. Born and raised in the Northern Water Tribe, he left home at age 10 to perfect his art of bending. Those that meet him call him a caring and gentle boy, while those that hear of him think him a monster with a sick mind. Though never prone to use his bending, he's thought to have amazing bending.**

**Lotus: age 17. Female. A regular fish out of water; or bender out of water. A born water bender who lost her dear mother when she sought out the Avatar for healing but died on the way. Her life is filled with drama and tragity; isn't that fun?**

**Aizen: age 15. Male. He never knew his parents but found shelter in Iroh's teaching and watch. Unfortuntley, despite his promise of being a great bender, he spent one too many times with a certain Fire Bender and was corrupted from such.**

**Alexandra: age 17. Female. Born with the power of the very Nation she hated, she became a skilled Fire Bender. Though her parents were killed by an inflamed home, she was taken in by her Grandpa Joe.**

**Aylin: age 17. Female. Born in greed, raised in hate, all in the name of honoring the throne of Fire Lord Ozai. Her parent's influence hasn't rubbed off her positively, making her a twisted girl bent on her own goals fulfillment.**

**Kami: age 16. Female. A sharp tongue girl who knows what she wants and knows she wants it now. Her parents are both in the militia of the Southern Water Tribe, her mother being a healer and father being a soldier.**

**Ashee: age 13. Female. What can be said? She's wild, she's exciting, and she knows kung-fu. If anything else can be said, it's that she loves her music just as much or more then the anyone else.**

**Rei: age 16. Female. Born to a Fire Bending father and Water Bending mother, she hasn't yet figured out what her own skill is. She was unfortinently separated from them for the past 10 years.**

**Li: Age -. Female. A known fire works maker and sales woman, she ventures all across the world in search of new business venues. But try not to bring up her past, it wasn't a field of daisies for this skilled fire bender.**

**Kara: age 16. Female. Though her parents live in the Northern Water Tribe, she was sent to the South to be personally trained by Lady Katara. If one thing could be said about her, it's that she is one loyal Tribesgirl.**

**Jia: age 19. Female. A born sales woman- in all senses of the words. Her family was built on the Omashu center of trade and merchant ways. However, she's not the most honest or trustworthy dealer in the world.**

* * *

><p><strong>These are the characters that aren't in the story yet, but they will:<strong>

**Ruri: age 14. Female. Sadly, an orphan in the Earth Kingdom after the death of her parents. She never truly knew them, but was told that the two had sway in the Earth Kingdom hierarchy.**

**Dijoi: age 18. Male. With nobility comes poise and grace; unfortunate how that doesn't cut it with this nut cake. Once betrothed to a young Lotus, he has never given up on her so he can keep her to himself for all time; young love.**

**Yukutia: age 18. Female. Hell have no fury like a woman scorned – or in this case, like a woman that can't have her man. A crazed fire bender that only wants her 'lover' and her 'enemy' to herself and dead respectively.**

**Tae: age 17. Female. A once privileged child of the Earth Kingdom's ambassador. However, due to her shameful lack luster skills and grace, she was disowned and removed from the family entirely.**

**Zahi: age 14. Female. Headfirst, head strong, and a born adventurer. Despite her appearance, her family along with her herself are but commons in the Fire Nation and history. At the age of 13, she decided to leave home and see the world itself.**

**Natsume: age 13. Female. So young yet filled with a burning hatred. Due to circumstances, her family was inavertedly torn by the Avatar and his lot, thus sprouting hatred within her.**

**Aya: age 19. Female. A true beauty that was so shamefully cracked due to her past. She is a trained fire dancer and as such hasn't attracted the most positive attention. Due to this, her life hasn't always been the most clean and peaceful existence.**

**Aaidi: age 13. Female. A true mystery in essence. (I'll edit this one later… MAYBE)**

**Turakk: age 14. Male. The one and ONLY person personally tutored under Toph. Even with his fun and easy nature, much like his master, when it's time to knuckle down – the knuckles come down!**

**Graye: age 17. Male. An abused runaway at age 13; he has a rooted distaste for the Avatar. Surprising enough, this boy has perfected his own art of minor electricity.**

**Arianna: age 17. Female. Despite her once boiling hatred of the Avatar, she's learned to let it go. Passed her dismal and blank appearance, she's a kind and sweet person when one takes the time to break through her.**

**Lien: age 14. Female. A freshly trained Kyoshi Warrior with the aide of Suki, Ty Lee, and the other veteran warriors. Her mother was once a warrior as well and as such passed the torch onto to young Lien at age eight.**

**Saola: age 17. Female. Raised by a passive mother and possessive father, she's grown fairly well all things considered. However so, she's a brash young lady who always throws her all in everything.**

**Tandoku: age 15. Male. Once had a good life, but in a blinding flash that one fateful night, he lost it all… To him, his own bending is a mystery; one he intends to find out.**

**Isidro: age 19. Male. Out of his family, he was the only one not blessed with the power of fire bending. As such, he trained specially in archery, soon becoming a rank of the Yu Yan archer.**

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><p><strong>That now done, this would be the BEST time to tell me if there is any couples you'd like to see or any events you would like to see. I hinted at some of that this fun chapter, but again… none of this is real, it's like actors playing around behind the stage.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>See you in the big times!<strong>

**-Overlord **


	8. Chapter eight: Reorder

**It's been a while, hasn't it? Never the less, here we are and I won't keep you waiting. Time for us to kick things off.**

**HOWEVER, at the end there will be an important note, please read it.**

* * *

><p>Outside of the order of Elders and Sages, very few know the guidelines of an Avatar. To most, the Avatar is the beacon that guides them and wards them in their darkest hours. An Avatar's duty is to the people that walk this world, as they would all think. But as the Sages had come to learn and study, the Avatar was so much more. The duty of an Avatar is to the two worlds: the spirit world and the world it is tethered to, the physical world. Each one feeding off the other for an ever flowing share of energy, to which the Avatar's life is mediated through. As much as it is that the Avatar must protect the living from harm, it's just as important to maintain the balance. For this, some sacrifices must always be made.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>Mom? Dad? Is it because I'm a monster?"<em>

"_Never say that! You're gifted!"_

"_Then why did they take Grandpa away?"_

"…_Because sometimes the right thing comes at a big cost…"_

"…_I don't be—"_

"_Son! Never say that! You're our son."_

"_No matter what, we will always love you."_

Hood dipped damply over his eyes, Harike scowled with an angered tone. His feet stamped with loud crunches against the powdered dock that stretched before the mighty Southern Water Tribe capital. Hands curled into a fist as the droplets around him grew ridged and firm, crashing against the wood of the dock with patters and thuds. "Everything's going to better soon… A better world awaits…" a chill was to his voice as fumes of white puffs escaped his mouth and nostrils.

Gold, glinting eyes fixed upon the gates of the capital, leading his feet to slowly make way across the field of bleach white snow.

"_You don't need to do this."_

"_I know… but I need to try."_

"…_good luck son."_

"_Bye mom. Bye dad. I promise, when I come home, I'll be able to make everything right!"_

"_Of course son… just don't be too headfirst."_

"_I promise, when I get back with all my new knowledge, I'll make the perfect decisions!"_

* * *

><p>"You let him just pass you!" Aizen couldn't believe what he was told; the one he was looking for slipped by him because of another group looking for him.<p>

The group of water tribe girls merely grumbled excuses as they looked to the steel plated deck at their feet. Aizen paced out before them, hand flat against his annoyed visage while Alexandra stood off to the side, surveying the Southern Water Tribe off in the distance. "Hot Head," she called to her partner without taking her eyes away from the distant capital. "Don't flame your pants just yet… I think this'll help us get Harike."

"What're you talking about?" Aizen ignored her rapid insults and turned his attention off of the girls to his partner.

"Think about it… He doesn't know we're coming, he thinks everyone is heading north, and he told these girls exactly were he's going right now _and_ after. Right now, the ball is in our court," Alexandra elaborated her idea which Aizen nodded to with thought.

"You're right. We have the upper hand. We can get a sneak attack on him!" Aizen made note of.

"Sneak attack?" Kara regained her spirit and stood up. "You can't sneak attack Harike. Do you know what he's capable of?"

Both Aizen and Alexandra looked at each other confused before resetting their eyes on Kara. "Do you?" the asked together.

The water tribe girl opened her mouth to press her point, but only found her tongue to go dry before she retreated back to sitting by the rest of her team. "Well… I assume pretty bad things if they not only sent the Southern Water tribe army after him but also sent agents of the Fire Nation…"

"Assume is the key word tribe girl. Assume," Aizen snapped back with a cold frown. "We can't assume anything with all this. I say we just head to the Earth Kingdom of Ba Sing Se, set up an oust of a primary path that he'll take to get to the city, and ambush him there."

The girls looked to Alexandra confused. Alexandra picked up on their confusion and smiled. "What Hot Head means is we'll plug up some road to the city that Harike will have to take and attack him when he comes by," she explained.

A collective nod came out from the tribal girls as they took into the understanding. Aizen blew a small huff before turning away and heading for the ship's control center. "Whatever the plan, we're not staying here. And since you four idiots already let him slip right passed you, I can't leave you alone. From here on, you're with Alexandra and me, got that?"

They looked amongst each other before Kami shot to a stand with a defiant scowl. "And what if we don't go with you?"

The fire bender smiled and looked over to the open sea. "If we burn your ship down, it won't matter if you want to or not," Aizen took another look at the water tribe girls and saw they each were starting to get worried, "…just a suggestion, really. Either way, six heads are better than one. Isn't that right?"

No one could disagree with that and Kami returned to her spot with her scowl still on. Aizen returned to the control center of the ship and left Alexandra with their new team mates. "So…" Alexandra began to try and ease the tension left by Aizen. "From the Southern Water Tribe I hear, huh? Well… I hear it's nice there," the girls looked up at her collectively and just frowned at her efforts. "Okay… so… do you all have names or-?"

"We're not savages you know," Kami spat childishly.

"Kami, please. Sorry about her, she's just cranky that now she has two more people to keep her in check," Rei let Alexandra know while getting up on her two feet. "My name's Rei. Cranky over there is Kami of course. The girl leaning over the edge of the ship there is Ashee," pointing behind her at said individual, Ashee snapped a look back at them.

"I saw a platyotter!" Ashee cheered before returning her sight over the ship.

"Yeah… she's not all there all the time. And last but not least, pretty much the leader by order of Lady Katara, Kara."

Kara seemed to give the Fire Nation girl a scowl before she too took a stand and bowed her head. "A pleasure," she quickly got out.

Alexandra gave a puzzled look but smiled soon after. "So I guess we'll be travelling to Ba Sing Se from here on. That's cool, but…" her eyes soon set on the craft beside her and Aizen's ship, bobbing in the arctic water. "What're we gonna do about your ship? Tie it up to ours or are you guys gonna just follow us the entire way?"

"I spy with my little eye—"

"I swear to La if you say 'glacier' I will break you like a twig Varun!" Dylanna snapped to the boy beside her as she slumped over the railing of the deck.

A moment passed as the light waves ebbed against the frame of the ship and the steel working creaked and bent unsettlingly. "…Iceberg…" Varun mumbled carelessly.

Dylanna rolled her hand into a fist and readied herself to knock the boy, when Laya stepped between the two of them and widened the gap. "Come on. We can't start beating each other up!" she scolded them, "be more like Elodie. She's not causing any trouble," Laya gestured over to Elodie who just sat at the edge of the ship watching the scenery drift by.

"Laya is giving orders on behavior?" Dylanna asked skeptical.

She looked almost hurt by the statement before getting out between Varun and Dylanna in a huff. "Fine. Kill each other for all I care. Don't expect me to fish your bodies out when you guys knock the other one overboard, though!" Laya yelled back at the two of them, a burning red growing across her cheeks.

The two of them looked between each other confused but decided to shrug it off and return to looking out over the open water. Still in her huff, Laya sat down next to Elodie. "Trouble, Laya?" Elodie asked without a direct look.

"Nope… well… kinda," Laya started to tension up and Elodie gave her a concerned look. "Don't worry, Elo. It's nothing bad… yet that is. It's just that I've got a bad feeling…"

Just then, the captain of the ship, Jia poked her head out from her cabin with a grin. "I had a bad feeling once. But after I took a good sit behind the bushes—"

"Jia!" Laya warned her as her face grew hot again.

"Fine, fine. No need to be a prude, I was just trying to lighten up the ride," Jia shrugged and dipped back into her command room.

"So," Elodie started, regaining Laya's attention. "you said you had a bad feeling?"

"Well yeah. A—"

* * *

><p>"—Bad feeling…" Katara's eyes bore deep into the dark clouds casting a wider spread over the city.<p>

The dock she stood on that once had many fleets of water tribe crafts was bare beside the piled snow layering over the wooden planks. A light snow had begun to drift down over the dock as well as the city, but to Katara it felt different. The wind was dead yet the clouds and snow moved as if wind was guiding them. She alone was the only person outside the city walls as women and children had tucked themselves within the safety of their homes. Slowly, the sound of crunching snow came to her ears and her eyes peaked behind her to see who it was that approached her.

What she saw made her smile and turn herself completely to acknowledge them. "Hello. I thought all the men and healers left to help in the North," she gave a light laugh as the individual came closer.

His hood draped over his eyes as he came into reach of Katara. Slowly, a hand came up to his hood and grabbed it by the hem. In a single fluid motion, his hood was pulled back and a bright smile came to Katara's eyes. "Yeah well, I'm not the best bender in the world. Besides, I came from the North so why go back?"

Katara gave a soft nod as her eyes explored his clothes. "Traditional Northern Water Tribe attire I see. However, they seem much more custom?"

"Wow..." the boy smiled with a blush. "You are smart. That means I came to the right person."

"Right person?"

"Sorry. My name is Harike. I'm—" Harike bit his tongue in thought before nervously smiling. "—a travelling artist."

"…That sounds fun," Katara smiled again as Harike breathed out a sigh of relief.

"So I came here, to the South Pole, to show you, Lady Katara. A piece I made; since you're so worldly," digging into the side pocket of his belt, Harike produced a crumpled piece of paper and handed it over to Katara to study.

Katara looked it over for a moment and cocked one of her fine brows. "Hei Bai, right?"

"That's right! So… tell me what you think?"

She looked to Harike and saw the hope in his eyes. "Well… I never really saw Hei Bai that well. But it does seem very artistic in my opinion," she handed the paper back and Harike tucked it away once more.

"Thank you for your honesty. Now, could you answer me a simple question?"

"Sure. How can I help?" As Katara said that, a crack in the clouds above split across.

From the spreading crack, a stretch of light beamed down across the snow covered dock. Harike turned his face to smile blissfully at Katara as the snow about them began to dissipate in the light of the sun. "Could you tell me where Aang is?"

* * *

><p>Light breezes brushed against the rolling knolls of the mountainous island. With the wind, the salt of the surrounding sea wafted through the small rural village tucked in the midst of the colossal mountains. Though the day was bright on the island, a single girl held up in one of the watch towers paid the wind or sky no mind as she watched the rolling sea peacefully. Her face was painted white with small red and black shading around her green eyes. Much like any other girl on the island, her attire was in remembrance of the great woman who founded the island: Avatar Kyoshi.<p>

One of the sea breezes swept by her and through the watch tower, forcing a shiver to her. "'Lien, could you watch for Hawky?' 'No problem Master Sokka, I'll just wait in the tower.' I need to learn to keep my trap shut…" she replayed the conversation she had before she arrived to the tower in her mind before smiling. "At least it's a beautiful day—wait…" squinting her eyes to a fine narrow, she strained to see something dark in the distance.

Reaching to her side, she grasped a telescope propped up beside her and looked through it at the distant sight. "A cloud?" she muttered to herself. "Ty Lee said we weren't do for a rain for another week… oh well, no big deal." Tossing her telescope to the side she went back to watching the open water lazily.

* * *

><p><strong>Wasn't that fun? Anyway, we'll be picking up again at our usual pace. Only now, we reach our first real fight scene. Who? We'll see... Again, sorry for the lateness of this one.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Now, the people in the story thus far:<strong>

**Laya: age 16. Female. A powerful healer that lost her parents before she could tragically know them. None the less, that hasn't dampened her spirit, she's our regular Water Bender fire cracker. Also so, she's a self taught Water Bender in the form of attack, but don't tell mommy!**

**Dylanna: age 14. Female. A born aristocrat destined for elegance she spits on the high society life style and prefers getting down and dirty with the boys. She hates being under anyone's thumb and lives to run free and be her own. But under it all, she has a craving to sometimes, just maybe, be seen as a girl.**

**Varun: age 15. Male. Coming a family of three boys, he's been the one to shine out as the most talented in Water Bending. Don't let his thoughtful and strategic outlook fool you, he's a regular hound when it comes to the ladies; but don't tell his close friend Dylanna, he can't handle anymore hits!**

**Elodie: age 15. Female. Found drifting in the chilled waters of the Northern Water Tribe after her parents where senselessly murdered, she was seen as a child of great potential and was put to training the moment she could be. Fairly unshaken by her loss, she's a sweet and lighthearted girl.**

**Harike: age 19. Male. Born and raised in the Northern Water Tribe, he left home at age 10 to perfect his art of bending. Those that meet him call him a caring and gentle boy, while those that hear of him think him a monster with a sick mind. Though never prone to use his bending, he's thought to have amazing bending.**

**Lotus: age 17. Female. A regular fish out of water; or bender out of water. A born water bender who lost her dear mother when she sought out the Avatar for healing but died on the way. Her life is filled with drama and tragity; isn't that fun?**

**Aizen: age 15. Male. He never knew his parents but found shelter in Iroh's teaching and watch. Unfortuntley, despite his promise of being a great bender, he spent one too many times with a certain Fire Bender and was corrupted from such.**

**Alexandra: age 17. Female. Born with the power of the very Nation she hated, she became a skilled Fire Bender. Though her parents were killed by an inflamed home, she was taken in by her Grandpa Joe.**

**Aylin: age 17. Female. Born in greed, raised in hate, all in the name of honoring the throne of Fire Lord Ozai. Her parent's influence hasn't rubbed off her positively, making her a twisted girl bent on her own goals fulfillment.**

**Kami: age 16. Female. A sharp tongue girl who knows what she wants and knows she wants it now. Her parents are both in the militia of the Southern Water Tribe, her mother being a healer and father being a soldier.**

**Ashee: age 13. Female. What can be said? She's wild, she's exciting, and she knows kung-fu. If anything else can be said, it's that she loves her music just as much or more then the anyone else.**

**Rei: age 16. Female. Born to a Fire Bending father and Water Bending mother, she hasn't yet figured out what her own skill is. She was unfortinently separated from them for the past 10 years.**

**Li: Age -. Female. A known fire works maker and sales woman, she ventures all across the world in search of new business venues. But try not to bring up her past, it wasn't a field of daisies for this skilled fire bender.**

**Kara: age 16. Female. Though her parents live in the Northern Water Tribe, she was sent to the South to be personally trained by Lady Katara. If one thing could be said about her, it's that she is one loyal Tribesgirl.**

**Jia: age 19. Female. A born sales woman- in all senses of the words. Her family was built on the Omashu center of trade and merchant ways. However, she's not the most honest or trustworthy dealer in the world.**

****Lien: age 14. Female. A freshly trained Kyoshi Warrior with the aide of Suki, Ty Lee, and the other veteran warriors. Her mother was once a warrior as well and as such passed the torch onto to young Lien at age eight.****

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><p><strong><strong>Now the (losers) that aren't in yet (I'm joking ^^):<strong>**

**Ruri: age 14. Female. Sadly, an orphan in the Earth Kingdom after the death of her parents. She never truly knew them, but was told that the two had sway in the Earth Kingdom hierarchy.**

**Dijoi: age 18. Male. With nobility comes poise and grace; unfortunate how that doesn't cut it with this nut cake. Once betrothed to a young Lotus, he has never given up on her so he can keep her to himself for all time; young love.**

**Yukutia: age 18. Female. Hell have no fury like a woman scorned – or in this case, like a woman that can't have her man. A crazed fire bender that only wants her 'lover' and her 'enemy' to herself and dead respectively.**

**Tae: age 17. Female. A once privileged child of the Earth Kingdom's ambassador. However, due to her shameful lack luster skills and grace, she was disowned and removed from the family entirely.**

**Zahi: age 14. Female. Headfirst, head strong, and a born adventurer. Despite her appearance, her family along with her herself are but commons in the Fire Nation and history. At the age of 13, she decided to leave home and see the world itself.**

**Natsume: age 13. Female. So young yet filled with a burning hatred. Due to circumstances, her family was inavertedly torn by the Avatar and his lot, thus sprouting hatred within her.**

**Aya: age 19. Female. A true beauty that was so shamefully cracked due to her past. She is a trained fire dancer and as such hasn't attracted the most positive attention. Due to this, her life hasn't always been the most clean and peaceful existence.**

**Aaidi: age 13. Female. A true mystery in essence. (I'll edit this one later… MAYBE)**

**Turakk: age 14. Male. The one and ONLY person personally tutored under Toph. Even with his fun and easy nature, much like his master, when it's time to knuckle down – the knuckles come down!**

**Graye: age 17. Male. An abused runaway at age 13; he has a rooted distaste for the Avatar. Surprising enough, this boy has perfected his own art of minor electricity.**

**Arianna: age 17. Female. Despite her once boiling hatred of the Avatar, she's learned to let it go. Passed her dismal and blank appearance, she's a kind and sweet person when one takes the time to break through her.**

**Saola: age 17. Female. Raised by a passive mother and possessive father, she's grown fairly well all things considered. However so, she's a brash young lady who always throws her all in everything.**

**Tandoku: age 15. Male. Once had a good life, but in a blinding flash that one fateful night, he lost it all… To him, his own bending is a mystery; one he intends to find out.**

**Isidro: age 19. Male. Out of his family, he was the only one not blessed with the power of fire bending. As such, he trained specially in archery, soon becoming a rank of the Yu Yan archer.**

* * *

><p><strong>Now, about what I needed to give you note about. You see, I've run into a small snag as I'm sure you've noticed... well, a few things:<strong>

**NUMBER 1: I know MY plan for the story, but what about you? What do YOU want? It doesn't matter what it is or with who, whatever it is and i do mean ANYTHING, I'll work it into the story somehow.**

**NUMBER 2: Individual chapters. If you so wish, before we get to the big story, I offer to do an individual segment for each character. Just a short, maybe 1000 word story about your character's past or life. Maybe. If you want.**

**NUMBER 3: Start thinking of ideas for the next cool down chapter. I have ideas, but I want yours.**

**NUMBER 4: If you want, I can make this story my kid friendly, teen friendly, or more adult toned. Whatever you want.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHARACTER INFO:<strong>

**People they like (type or specific): **

**People they hate (type or specific): **

**People they love (type or specific: **

**Greatest accomplishment: **

**Greatest failure: **

**Idol:**

* * *

><p><strong>Well that's it...<strong>

**See you in the big times**

**-Overlord**


	9. Chapter nine: Rough Waters

**No time to waste! I've wasted enough of your time! You want action! Here's action!... Not really... BUT SOON! Enjoy.**

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><p>Kingdoms falling to the feet of those that slaved over to construct them. Proud tribes reduced to nothing but dust in a matter of seconds. Families and friends faded into the pages of history with no such care. Life and structure can be easily changed, redirected, or snuffed out. All with just one, little spark.<p>

* * *

><p>The news came fast to Sokka, but to the best of his knowledge it wasn't anything to fret about. Garbed in his casual green trimmed armor, he moved towards the gate of the city where Ty Lee and Suki had waited for him in their Kyoshi Warrior garments. The sky above, once lofty with a blue over head and bright sun, had grown bleak and thunderous with an overcast. Sokka looked between his co-protectors then down the road to the village. "Anything to report?" Sokka asked to either one of them.<p>

"Sorta," Ty Lee giggled as she scratched the back of her head. "Our –well- _your_ watch-girl, Lien, saw something out on the sea. Now because of what _I _said –see? Now we both share some of the blame. She thought it was just some clouds coming early to bring rain. I guess she should've—"

"What Ty Lee is trying to say…" Suki cut in on Ty Lee's explanation. "Is that an unmarked vessel is heading right towards the city. And it appeared shortly after those dark clouds Lien reported seeing came around."

Sokka ran a hand through his thick hair and smiled. "Maybe they're friendly!" he pointed out hopefully.

Ty Lee jumped in on that statement and clasped Sokka's hands. "Right? Maybe it's a well wisher from Katara!" the two of them went into a fit of shared joy while Suki narrowed her eyes.

"Guys. Before we jump to happy-ending conclusions, let's see if the person –if any- on board is here on good will or not," Suki delivered reality to them and forced the two to burn out of their joy and sigh.

"You're right, you're right," Sokka admitted, "gather the Warriors and have them on standby incase of emergency."

Both Ty Lee and Suki acknowledged their orders with a nod and ran off towards the training hall. Sokka on the other hand looked out into the open water that stretched before his home island. It didn't feel right to fully admit it, seeing as he had no real proof other then his eyes' account. But he couldn't help but shake the feeling that he knew that small ship.

* * *

><p>"Oh the snow around is blight-ful, and that town right there could be spiteful…" the single boy aboard the craft drifting ever closer toKyoshi Island sang, a metal craft clenched tightly in his hand. "But since it's where I need to go… Start the show, start the show, start the show!" a grim smile crossed his face as his hood cloaked it from the gathering storm.<p>

* * *

><p>Sand shifted, the skinning of a ship nestled in, and boots sunk into the shifting coast. Gold eyes searched the scene of the near barren beach. Flakes of snow fixed themselves in-between the already layered sand; merging for a mixture of a white and tan landscape. The eyes soon shifted the long wooden case gripped in his right hand then to the hilt of a blade strapped to his back. "Master…" the single word was muttered with a soft puff of air, "if what you told me is to be true, there are three people here that could have the information I need. And if memory serve well, one of them will be easy if I ask nicely…" his hood dipped over his eyes ever deeper, casting his visage into his own darkened view.<p>

With a light gust, his hood was flapped back and a broad smile crossed his face. "Sokka's here, so that means I'm really close to the target. I'm sure Sokka can be reasoned with," Harike nodded to himself before bounding up the forest path to the city.

* * *

><p><em>"Aang? Why would you want to see him?"<em>

_"He's the most worldly person of our time, of course! He's seen Hei Bei right from the spirit world I hear. If anyone would know if this picture is spot on, he'll know."_

_"Hmmm… sounds about right to me. But I'm sorry; I don't know where he is right now exactly. Last I heard from him, he was heading to Kyoshi to see my brother."_

_"Kyoshi Island, huh? Perfect. Thank you so much, Lady Katara. You're as beautiful as you are smart… so that's a big very."_

_"Pretty charming. Thank you. If you're heading to see my brother, tell him I said 'hey'."_

_"I'll be sure to do that. Take care, Lady Katara."_

* * *

><p>Fresh out of the frost ridden Northern seas, Jia's ship rocked as powerful waves crashed up against its haul of the ship. The saleswoman paid it no heed, laughing joyfully at each toss while the rest of the group cluttered in the corner with green faces. "You guys need to get out on the sea more. You all look like your about to—" just then Varun dipped foreword and let out a wet groan as his lunch poured out from his mouth, "—Yeah that," Jia laughed while steering the ship.<p>

"I never knew the sea was so…" gagging a little, Elodie choked down an urge to follow Varun's example, "Rough…"

"Kid, you don't know rough," Jia continued to laugh, "try living on the run, always looking over your shoulder. Always waiting for that one day they'll catch you."

Breaking if only for a moment from her ill ridden disposition, Laya groggily looked to their captain, "Is that talk from experience?"

"Let's keep personal and business separate, 'kay?"

"But you were the one who—" Laya quickly held her tongue and fell back against the wall with a groan. "—Gah… I'm too sick to argue with that."

"By the way, are we almost there?" Dylanna, who had the best composure of the four waterbenders, asked.

Jia looked to the map done onto her wall before looking back to the rocking sea before them. "Should be…" quickly, her eyes sharpened and she smiled. "Why don't we ask the people on that ship ahead of us?"

"What ship?" Dylanna asked curiously as she got to her feet and moved with a wobble to Jia.

Jia pointed out into the area ahead of them to a well built metallic ship drifting in their direction. "The one with the Fire Nation flag… And that sweet ship tied up on their deck? Dang! I want one of those!"

* * *

><p>It wasn't exactly rare for visitors to land on Kyoshi Island, but when the Kyoshi Warriors are called to arms –albeit on standby- it's something no villager would miss out on. All the villagers had gathered at the gate in a huddle as the visitor stepped through the arches and looked them all up. At the head of the crowd, the head of the Kyoshi Warriors, Suki, and her husband Sokka looked at their guest cautiously. "Uh… welcome to Kyoshi Island," Sokka welcomed half heartedly.<p>

Harike took his eyes off of the crowd and settled them on the lean, yet somewhat lacking man standing before him. A moment was taken to study him from under his hood before he bowed down. "I thank you. I presume you are Sokka?" he questioned, then looked to his side at the green clothed women, "that would make you Suki…" just then, another woman came out from the crowd and stumbled a little as she took a spot next to Sokka. Almost as soon as his eyes set on her, he bolted up to her and dropped his hood from atop of his head. "And this lovely lady is most definitely Ty Lee!"

Both Sokka and Ty Lee snickered, only Ty Lee with a free hand covering her mouth cutely. Suki, on the other hand brooded lightly before clearing her throat to regain attention to the matter at hand. "Yes, you know our names. But tell us; who are you?"

His lips went flat and he went back to the entrance of the city, so as to be able to address everyone clearly. "My name is Harike. I'm not here to stay long…" a brief shot of his eyes to Ty Lee brought him to smile a little. "Shame as it is…" once again, he looked to Suki and Sokka, his expression returning to a plain look. "I only came here to ask Sokka –or even one of you two should you have the information- a question."

Curiosity was one of Sokka's weaknesses, so without knowing it before it came out, he asked; "What kind of question?"

A cold breeze swept across the town as Harike looked up to the sky and sighed. Flakes of fresh snow began to cascade down around the crowd before Harike looked back to Sokka sadly. "I've been searching for nearly a year… asking whoever I could for information before I got the idea to ask people that would have the best chance of having a good answer for me. So I ask you… Where is Aang?"

Where was Aang? Sokka smiled a little at how easy a question that was. It wasn't too long ago, yesterday in fact, that he had seen Aang. The Avatar hadn't said exactly what his planner was, but he dropped enough hints for Sokka to piece together where it was he was heading. Sokka opened his mouth to tell Harike, only to be curtailed by Suki stepping foreword. "What does that matter to you? If you don't mind my asking," Suki's tone was suspicious, and soon invoked a similar emotion through the crowd.

Instead of an answer, Suki heard a slow laugh rising from the visitor before getting a shake from his head. "No… no, no, no. It isn't anything to impressive. I just wanted him to see a piece of art I made. I figured he would be the most likely—"

"Why not bring it to Ba Sing Se then? It's filled with artists. Also, the Fire Lord's uncle lives there; I've never met anyone more worldly as him," Suki offered as the snow began to shrink down into a pattering rain.

"N-No…" Harike answered, still shaking his head and having a nervous smile. "Aang has gone to the spirit world, he's seen—"

"So has Iroh, if the stories are true. Why not—"

"No!" just then, the sky crackled with thunder and a bright flash jutted through the overcast before its light being swallowed up by an even darker sky. "I have to find, Aang!" Harike yelled, his voice almost impossible to hear over the now howling winds and crashing drops of rain. "You will tell me what you know!"

Many of the villagers grew worried and took great bounds away from Suki and the visitor, leaving a dumbfounded Sokka and panicking Ty Lee as her only back up. Unshaken by the changing weather, Suki's frown grew. "Or what?"

She immediately cursed her words as Harike looked at her, streams of water coursing down his face. "I don't want to get violent. This village is so peaceful and quiet. But… I'm so close. So… close," Harike muttered to himself before locking eyes with Sokka. "Please… you know where he is; you have to. Tell me where and I won't harm anyone."

Sokka looked at the changing weather and the cowering villagers, then finally his wife. It wasn't a surprise to him to see that she shook her head firmly. "…I won't tell you anything unless you explain why."

The ground began to rattle with the cry of the sky above, lightning coursing in a mad dash through all the curls of the black clouds. However, the bright, blinding sky and thundering air wasn't what caught their attention, it was Harike. The whole island looked at him fear filled as he screamed up into the sky with a bloodcurdling howl. But that alone wasn't what scared them… it was his hands. The rain crashed against his face and clothes, but quickly turned to steam as they grew close to his now red, enflamed fists…

* * *

><p><strong>WHAM! Did that just WHAM you? No... it probably didn't. Either way, we're about to have- not one, but two fight scenes in the next chapter. This one was only to set it up. And guess what? We're introducing one to three new characters next time. Which ones? You'd like to know wouldn't you?<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Now, the people in the story thus far:<strong>

**Laya: age 16. Female. A powerful healer that lost her parents before she could tragically know them. None the less, that hasn't dampened her spirit, she's our regular Water Bender fire cracker. Also so, she's a self taught Water Bender in the form of attack, but don't tell mommy!**

**Dylanna: age 14. Female. A born aristocrat destined for elegance she spits on the high society life style and prefers getting down and dirty with the boys. She hates being under anyone's thumb and lives to run free and be her own. But under it all, she has a craving to sometimes, just maybe, be seen as a girl.**

**Varun: age 15. Male. Coming a family of three boys, he's been the one to shine out as the most talented in Water Bending. Don't let his thoughtful and strategic outlook fool you, he's a regular hound when it comes to the ladies; but don't tell his close friend Dylanna, he can't handle anymore hits!**

**Elodie: age 15. Female. Found drifting in the chilled waters of the Northern Water Tribe after her parents where senselessly murdered, she was seen as a child of great potential and was put to training the moment she could be. Fairly unshaken by her loss, she's a sweet and lighthearted girl.**

**Harike: age 19. Male. Born and raised in the Northern Water Tribe, he left home at age 10 to perfect his art of bending. Those that meet him call him a caring and gentle boy, while those that hear of him think him a monster with a sick mind. Though never prone to use his bending, he's thought to have amazing bending.**

**Lotus: age 17. Female. A regular fish out of water; or bender out of water. A born water bender who lost her dear mother when she sought out the Avatar for healing but died on the way. Her life is filled with drama and tragity; isn't that fun?**

**Aizen: age 15. Male. He never knew his parents but found shelter in Iroh's teaching and watch. Unfortuntley, despite his promise of being a great bender, he spent one too many times with a certain Fire Bender and was corrupted from such.**

**Alexandra: age 17. Female. Born with the power of the very Nation she hated, she became a skilled Fire Bender. Though her parents were killed by an inflamed home, she was taken in by her Grandpa Joe.**

**Aylin: age 17. Female. Born in greed, raised in hate, all in the name of honoring the throne of Fire Lord Ozai. Her parent's influence hasn't rubbed off her positively, making her a twisted girl bent on her own goals fulfillment.**

**Kami: age 16. Female. A sharp tongue girl who knows what she wants and knows she wants it now. Her parents are both in the militia of the Southern Water Tribe, her mother being a healer and father being a soldier.**

**Ashee: age 13. Female. What can be said? She's wild, she's exciting, and she knows kung-fu. If anything else can be said, it's that she loves her music just as much or more then the anyone else.**

**Rei: age 16. Female. Born to a Fire Bending father and Water Bending mother, she hasn't yet figured out what her own skill is. She was unfortinently separated from them for the past 10 years.**

**Li: Age -. Female. A known fire works maker and sales woman, she ventures all across the world in search of new business venues. But try not to bring up her past, it wasn't a field of daisies for this skilled fire bender.**

**Kara: age 16. Female. Though her parents live in the Northern Water Tribe, she was sent to the South to be personally trained by Lady Katara. If one thing could be said about her, it's that she is one loyal Tribesgirl.**

**Jia: age 19. Female. A born sales woman- in all senses of the words. Her family was built on the Omashu center of trade and merchant ways. However, she's not the most honest or trustworthy dealer in the world.**

****Lien: age 14. Female. A freshly trained Kyoshi Warrior with the aide of Suki, Ty Lee, and the other veteran warriors. Her mother was once a warrior as well and as such passed the torch onto to young Lien at age eight.****

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><p><strong><strong>Still not in. But soon:<strong>**

**Ruri: age 14. Female. Sadly, an orphan in the Earth Kingdom after the death of her parents. She never truly knew them, but was told that the two had sway in the Earth Kingdom hierarchy.**

**Dijoi: age 18. Male. With nobility comes poise and grace; unfortunate how that doesn't cut it with this nut cake. Once betrothed to a young Lotus, he has never given up on her so he can keep her to himself for all time; young love.**

**Yukutia: age 18. Female. Hell have no fury like a woman scorned – or in this case, like a woman that can't have her man. A crazed fire bender that only wants her 'lover' and her 'enemy' to herself and dead respectively.**

**Tae: age 17. Female. A once privileged child of the Earth Kingdom's ambassador. However, due to her shameful lack luster skills and grace, she was disowned and removed from the family entirely.**

**Zahi: age 14. Female. Headfirst, head strong, and a born adventurer. Despite her appearance, her family along with her herself are but commons in the Fire Nation and history. At the age of 13, she decided to leave home and see the world itself.**

**Natsume: age 13. Female. So young yet filled with a burning hatred. Due to circumstances, her family was inavertedly torn by the Avatar and his lot, thus sprouting hatred within her.**

**Aya: age 19. Female. A true beauty that was so shamefully cracked due to her past. She is a trained fire dancer and as such hasn't attracted the most positive attention. Due to this, her life hasn't always been the most clean and peaceful existence.**

**Aaidi: age 13. Female. A true mystery in essence. (I'll edit this one later… MAYBE)**

**Turakk: age 14. Male. The one and ONLY person personally tutored under Toph. Even with his fun and easy nature, much like his master, when it's time to knuckle down – the knuckles come down!**

**Graye: age 17. Male. An abused runaway at age 13; he has a rooted distaste for the Avatar. Surprising enough, this boy has perfected his own art of minor electricity.**

**Arianna: age 17. Female. Despite her once boiling hatred of the Avatar, she's learned to let it go. Passed her dismal and blank appearance, she's a kind and sweet person when one takes the time to break through her.**

**Saola: age 17. Female. Raised by a passive mother and possessive father, she's grown fairly well all things considered. However so, she's a brash young lady who always throws her all in everything.**

**Tandoku: age 15. Male. Once had a good life, but in a blinding flash that one fateful night, he lost it all… To him, his own bending is a mystery; one he intends to find out.**

**Isidro: age 19. Male. Out of his family, he was the only one not blessed with the power of fire bending. As such, he trained specially in archery, soon becoming a rank of the Yu Yan archer.**

* * *

><p><strong>So long everyone! And keep thinking of ideas for the fun chapter. You know you want to.<strong>

**See you in the big times**

**-Overlord**


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